Nothing Left But Ashes
by TaraHeck
Summary: Hellboy and Liz have always been like siblings, but what happens when Hellboy suddenly sees her as more than his little sister?
1. Eleven

**Authour's Note**: Just a few things before we get started.

1\. Chapter 11 has a scene where a character tries to commit suicide, and it's pretty graphic. If that bothers you, it might be best to avoid the last half of that chapter.

2\. This fic gets pretty sexually graphic, so heed that M rating.

3\. I've always been a little put off by HellboyxLiz pairings. It's not to say that I don't enjoy them – I really do. It's just odd for me, because their relationship in the comics was always so very platonic and sibling-like.

4\. The characters are a mix of all 3 of their major depictions – del Toro film versions, comic versions and the 2019 version. Some characters have abilities or personalities that are film-exclusive, some are more like their comic depictions.

**July 1973**

There was a commotion going on at the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense headquarters as Hellboy entered. He had just returned from a 3-day assignment a few states over - a young woman had become possessed by some kind of lesser demon after messing with a ouija board and was in desperate need of an exorcism - and was a bit crabby to say the least, and the commotion was just making his mood worse. He was hoping to just come back home to HQ and retreat to his apartment, put in a cheesy monster flick, perhaps get some well-deserved sleep, but he felt compelled to find out what was going on. He stood still for a moment as people in aluminized fire proximity suits buzzed in and out of a door with a dialpad on it. The door, Hellboy knew, led to the Isolation & Observation wing. It wasn't too often that that wing needed to be utilized, so that piqued his interest. Whenever the door closed, it did so with a tinny CHKTTT sound, turning the small light on the pad from green to red, signifying that it was now locked. Knowing that the code for the dialpad got changed every once in a while, and Hellboy not always being informed of the change since it wasn't his department, he observed from a distance the next person punching in the numbers with his enhanced eyesight – 20/11 vision, to be exact. 5-2-7-3. Last time he knew, the passcode was 8-1-4-6.

Hellboy walked over to the door and put in the code with his flesh left hand, the dialpad making a little beep as the light turned green and the door made a whirring noise. He hooked his stone index finger through the grip-style door handle and pulled it open. Several men and women, either in aluminized fire proximity suits or regular office suits, were gathered around a large window. Hellboy, being taller than most people, easily saw over everyone's heads through the window. A little girl, who couldn't have been much older than 10, sat on a little cot bed with the bottom half of her face buried in her knees. She was crying, though it wasn't audible through the soundproofed walls. She darted her gaze over to the window, making almost everyone take a small step back and a few of them gasp. One woman dropped her clipboard in a fit of anxiety and walked out of the I&O wing, her heels clacking noisily on the linoleum the whole way.

Hellboy picked up her clipboard and started reading. The paper didn't say much except the girl's name, age and something about pyrokinesis. Hellboy placed the clipboard on a nearby table, which caught the attention of an agent he had worked with a few times - Agent Stone.

"Hey, Red," Stone said, seeming to have been pulled out of a daydream, blue eyes appearing glassed over. "You just now gettin' back?"

"Yeah," Hellboy said, idly stuffing his left hand in his duster pocket. "What's going on here?"

"Some kid from Kansas caught an entire city block on fire," Stone said in a hushed tone, as if it were a shameful secret. "As far as we know, she's the only survivor. Even her parents got burnt up."

Hellboy let that sink in as he looked at the little girl. She didn't look dangerous at all to him. In fact, she looked almost downright pitiful with her eyes all red and welled up with tears and her face hidden behind her knees, but Hellboy had learned the hard way in his line of work that looks can be very deceptive.

An agent in an AFP suit, carrying a small tray of food in one hand, swiped a card through the slot near the little girl's door and slowly, carefully walked in. The door closed behind him and the little girl looked at him from her bed, causing him to nearly throw himself back up against the wall. He slowly walked toward her with the tray, clearly trying to not startle her. The little girl was saying something to him, and it appeared he wasn't responding. As he got close to her, she gently touched the agent's arm, which caused him to drop the tray on the floor, all the food spilling off, and run back out of her room in terror. He unknowingly dropped his security card on his way out. As he ran through the door, he mumbled something about not wanting to take the food in next time. The girl was once again alone and buried her face completely into her knees, body shaking with heaving sobs.

As Hellboy stood there with his hand in his pocket, he felt something deep within its recesses. A lollipop he had picked up a few days ago while he was away on assignment. An idea dawned on him and he suddenly walked to the door, scooping up the dropped security card. As he swiped it, some agents called out to him.

"Hey - stop!"

"You don't have clearance!"

"Hellboy, don't go in there!"

He completely ignored them, silently daring any of them to attempt to stop him, and let the door shut behind him.

He heard the little girl's sobs and tried to make his face and voice as non-threatening as possible. It wasn't a very easy feat. Hellboy had quite a stony face and gruff voice that nearly always made him look and sound pissed off even if he wasn't. He'd been told several times that he was extremely intimidating. Hoping that he wasn't coming off as too scary, he gently tapped on the wall to get the girl's attention.

"Knock knock," Hellboy said as gently as possible, in a voice he reserved for small children in situations such as this. "Mind if I come in?"

The girl looked up at him with tears streaming down her face. She looked startled at first, but seemed to calm down a little.

"You can't, you..." She paused and sniffled. "You talked to me?"

"Shouldn't I?" Hellboy gently asked.

The girl grabbed her pillow and hugged it to her chest, covering the lower half of her face with it. She looked up at him, her voice slightly muffled and hardly audible from the pillow. "Aren't you afraid I'll... burn you?"

Hellboy carefully sat on the edge of her bed, retrieved the lollipop from his duster pocket and held it out as an offering to her. "Nope."

The girl's eyes darted from him to the lollipop, then back to him. She seemed unsure. Maintaining eye contact with him the entire time, she slowly reached forward and plucked the lollipop from his red hand. She eventually sat the pillow off to the side and sat indian style.

"Thank you," She said, smiling sheepishly and wiping a tear away with the back of her hand.

"No problem," Hellboy said sweetly, keeping his stone right hand out of her line of sight as best he could, leaving it hang at his side off the edge of the bed. The girl didn't seem scared of him, but seeing his stone hand might make her uneasy. He laid his left hand in his lap. "So, what's your name?" He had seen her name on the clipboard, but didn't want to alarm her by already knowing it. He wanted this meeting to feel as normal as it could possibly feel, for her sake.

"E... Elizabeth Sherman," She mumbled, twirling the lollipop between her fingers absentmindedly. "But everyone calls me Liz."

"Well, hi, Liz," He warmly said, "I'm Hellboy, but you can call me Red."

Liz was silent while she observed him. "What are those things on your forehead?"

"Oh, these?" He asked, pointing with his left hand. "They're my horns. But I always keep 'em short."

"Why?"

He smiled. "It gets really hard to put a shirt on with 'em in the way. And goin' through low doorways? Fugget about it."

These weren't the exact reasons he kept them short, of course. There was a much darker reason, but he was trying to lighten the girl's mood and make her more comfortable. He had a feeling that telling her he shaved his horns in order to try to distance himself from his demonic origins – though apparent they might be – wasn't the best explanation to give at the moment.

It appeared to work. She smiled and exhaled a small, sharp laugh.

"Can... can I touch them?" Liz asked.

"Go for it," Hellboy said, leaning forward. He bowed his head and braced himself against his thighs with his bent left arm. He normally wasn't one for physical contact of any sort, and he especially hated having any of his "unique" features touched or stared at, such as his eyes, tail, hooves, stone hand and - in this case - his horn stumps, but he made an exception for the kid. Kids usually got a free pass with him.

Liz put the lollipop beside her on the bed and got up on her knees. She stretched out a small, pale hand and very carefully touched one of his horn stumps. She smiled as she rubbed her palm over one of them. "Just like grandma's goats..."

Liz brought up her other hand to feel both of his stumps simultaneously and caught a glimpse of his stone right hand that he was trying to hide from her. Eyes widening, she hopped off the bed to get a better look.

"What is _that_?" Liz asked almost in a whisper. "A hammer?"

"No, uh... it's my hand." Hellboy slowly raised it up to her.

"Whoa," Liz said, putting both hands on his stone hand. "Does it work? Can you move it?"

He wiggled the fingers of his hand in response, causing Liz to take her hands away from it and take a step back.

"Why is your other hand normal?" She asked after a pause, seeming much more intrigued than frightened. "Why is this one big and stony?"

"Well, I'm not sure the exact reason," Hellboy said, letting his stone right hand hang back down at his side. "But it sure does help when I'm fighting bad guys."

"You fight bad guys? You're, like, a superhero?"

"Something like that," Hellboy said, tilting his head slightly.

He looked down at the food that the agent in the AFP suit had spilled in his mad dash out of the door. A bologna sandwich, a cup of what appeared to be peaches and a carton of milk. The sandwich was beyond salvaging, and even if it wasn't, who in their right mind would want to eat a bologna sandwich? Hellboy looked through the observation window at the agents for the first time and saw that his father, Trevor Bruttenholm, had joined the crowd and was giving him a displeased look. Hellboy gave one right back. He turned his attention back to Liz.

"Have you eaten today, sis?"

She shook her head and took a step closer to the bed, crossing her arms. Some of her auburn hair spilled over her right eye. Hellboy lifted his left hand and tucked the hair behind her ear tenderly.

"Well, what kind of food do you like?" He asked, cupping her face with his warm hand. "I can see what they got in the kitchen."

She dug at the floor sheepishly with her toe. "I like... peanut butter sandwiches."

Hellboy smiled and took his hand away. "I think I can manage that without messing it up too bad. I'll be back in five minutes."

He got up and guided her over to the bed, encouraging her to sit down. On his way out, he picked up the sandwich off the floor. He intended to exit the door without interacting with anyone, but of course his father was hot on his trail. He waited until they were out of earshot to start chewing him out.

"What you just did was incredibly dangerous," Professor Bruttenholm said in a hushed, yet stern tone; a tone that Hellboy had grown all too familiar with through the years.

"She's just a little girl," Hellboy said.

"A little girl that burned down an entire city block," Bruttenholm hissed. "A little girl that killed at least thirty people - including her parents and brother. What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking she was a scared little girl and needed to be shown some compassion," Hellboy snapped back.

They entered the Bureau kitchen and Hellboy threw the bologna sandwich in a nearby trashcan (where it belonged in the first place, if you asked him). He started digging around in the pantry for bread and peanut butter. He sat them out on the counter and pulled a butter knife out of the silverware drawer, then started washing his hands in the nearby sink.

"Now what are you doing?" Trevor asked, clearly displeased, agitated and confused.

"Making her some actual food," Hellboy said, drying his hands on a dishtowel. He got a small plate out and laid 2 slices of bread out, purposely going around the butt piece at the front. He contemplated throwing it in the trash as well as he began spreading peanut butter on the slices that he laid out on the plate. "I mean, _bologna_? What were _you _thinking?"

Trevor sighed and crossed his arms. "I know her conditions aren't ideal, but you don't understand the danger she poses. An entire city block and all the people within it – completely incinerated. All because she became upset."

"So, lemme get this straight," Hellboy mumbled, almost done distributing the peanut butter onto the bread. "Her abilities are triggered by being upset and you've got her locked up, all alone with a bunch of government officials gawking at her and trying to feed her bologna sandwiches? Sounds like a great setup." He finished up the sandwich and started walking out of the kitchen.

"Well, we don't quite know _what _causes them," Trevor said, following beside him back to the I&O wing. "We just know that she was upset at the time of the detonation. We're going to perform some tests-"

Hellboy stopped walking and looked his adoptive father directly in the eyes. "Listen to yourself, Trevor. Doing tests on an innocent kid? That sounds a little familiar to me. Not really sure why." He sarcastically scratched his own chin, ruffling his goatee slightly. "Maybe you could tell me why."

Trevor was silent as he glared back, arms crossed. He was annoyed at his son's words and general defiance, but also by his use of his first name. Hellboy only ever called him Trevor to his face when he was upset with him. Other than that, it was always "father" or "professor." On some very rare occasions, he had said "dad," but it was usually when he had copious amounts of alcohol in his system.

"No?" Hellboy asked, sarcasm rising by the second. "Doesn't ring any bells?" He shrugged and continued walking, plate in hand. "Well, you know where to find me if you suddenly remember."

Trevor stayed where he was for a few moments, deep in thought. It was somewhat true, he hated to admit. Trevor had saved the boy from becoming a science experiment by adopting him. At first it was little more than curiosity that drove him – it was almost his own personal science experiment – the only difference being that he wasn't planning on dissecting or otherwise torturing the boy like the people who originally wanted him were planning.

The boy was a mystery. He randomly appeared all those years ago on Tarmagant Island, in a ball of fire no less. Nobody was quite sure what he was, where he came from or what he might one day be capable of. Where others would have seen a demon or a monster, Trevor saw a baby. Yes, there was a brief period where Hellboy was more of a science project than anything else, but that quickly changed once he got to know the boy. Trevor began to feel a deep bond with him in a short period of time and felt he needed to protect him from the government higher-ups that were in the process of getting the authority to experiment on and dissect him.

Trevor fought, and he fought hard, to adopt Hellboy and become his legal guardian. Thankfully, he won. It was one of the proudest and happiest moments of his life. Although Hellboy looked different and possessed superhuman abilities, he proved to be no different than any other human child; a child that Trevor came to love very deeply. What's more, Hellboy came to see Trevor as his father.

Trevor heaved a sigh and walked in the opposite direction of the I&O wing. He decided to leave Hellboy be for now, hoping that whatever he was doing wouldn't result in the BPRD headquarters, and all of its inhabitants, becoming a smoldering heap of ash.

.

.

.

Hellboy arrived back at the I&O wing with the peanut butter sandwich in hand. As he neared Liz's door, Agent Stone stopped him by blocking his path.

"Red," He said in a friendly, yet stern, tone. "You can't go in."

"Oh? Why?" Hellboy said, cocking his head to the side ever so slightly.

"It's too dangerous, man," Stone cautioned. "You say or do one wrong thing, you'll get flash fried. Might take us with you, too."

"Well, I don't plan on saying or doing anything wrong, so if you'll excuse me…" Hellboy reached into his duster pocket with his free hand and pulled out his stolen security card.

Agent Stone didn't budge. The two men locked eyes. Neither blinked for what seemed like an eternity until Hellboy gave a slow, cat-like blink.

Hellboy sighed. "Stone, c'mon. Look at her." He motioned at the window with his hand that was holding the security card. Liz was observing them from the bed, fiddling with the lollipop he had given her. "She might have abilities that are dangerous, but that doesn't make her dangerous. She's, what, ten? Eleven? Don't you have a daughter about her age? How'd you feel if she was scared and alone like this kid? Would you want everyone treating her like a lab rat, or would you hope there would be at least one person willing to comfort her and show her some goddamn compassion?"

"It isn't a fair comparison," Stone started. "Rebecca can't set people on fire. Besides-"

"Well, supposing she could," Hellboy interrupted. "Just imagine that's Rebecca in there."

"Hellboy, you really-"

"Stone," Hellboy cut him off in a quiet, serious tone. "She lost her family. She needs someone to be there for her. She's obviously scared out of her mind. I feel like her abilities are more of a threat if I _don't _go in there."

Stone was quiet as he let Hellboy's words sink in. After a few moments, Stone silently stepped out of the way. "I hope you know what you're doin', big guy." He watched as Hellboy swiped the security card and entered the little girl's room.

Hellboy sat the plate with the peanut butter sandwich on Liz's bed next to her. He grabbed the little carton of 2% milk and the fruit cup, which he determined was, indeed, peaches off the floor. He saw that the packaged plastic cutlery had been jettisoned beneath Liz's bed and retrieved it in case she decided she wanted the peaches. He sat the items on her bed and she grabbed the fruit cup, examining it.

"_Peaches?" _She asked with disgust in her voice. "I _hate _peaches." She kept the fruit cup in her hand and looked at Hellboy, holding the cup out to him. "Do you like them?"

Hellboy smiled and sat at the foot of the bed, causing the frame to squeak under his weight. "I love peaches. Thanks."

He noted her hesitation to start in on her peanut butter sandwich, so he opened the cup of peaches, unwrapped the plastic cutlery and started to slowly eat. Liz watched him eat for a few moments and eventually picked up the sandwich. She took a bite and they ate in a sort of contented silence for a few moments before she broke it.

"So, what is this place?"

"The BPRD," Hellboy explained, secretly irritated that nobody had enough decency to at least let her know where she was being held against her will. "It stands for 'The Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense.'"

Liz swallowed some of her sandwich. "What's 'paranormal?'"

Hellboy scraped at the bottom of the fruit cup as he searched for the right words. "Basically, it's things that can't really be explained. Supernatural things. Ghosts, vampires, things like that. We fight those."

"So, you're all superheroes?"

"Kind of," Hellboy shrugged, taking a final bite of peaches.

Liz was silent for a while as she finished her sandwich. She looked at the floor, contemplating. "I saw when you were leaving… do you have a tail?"

"Yes, I do," Hellboy said, sitting the fruit cup on her bedside table.

"Can I touch it?"

Hellboy nodded and slowly swung his tail in between both of them. Liz cautiously reached out for it and took the tip between her hands, studying it.

"What… _are _you?"

The words hit Hellboy a little harder than he was expecting. He felt his heart speed up and his chest get heavy. It was a question that he didn't really like to think about. It had become something of a forbidden question around the Bureau, at least with people who were familiar with him. There were new people showing up pretty constantly at HQ – either people being transferred from other branches or just getting started in the field altogether – that didn't see anything wrong with the question. Hellboy normally met their questions with gruffness, but those were adults that should know better, and this was just a curious little girl.

"Well, I don't really know," He said once he found his voice. "Nobody knows exactly."

Liz let go of his tail and looked dejectedly down at the bed as he let his tail slide back into place behind him. "I guess I don't really know what I am, either."

Hellboy studied her and felt a strange connection to the girl. He remembered how it felt to be that age and so incredibly unsure of yourself and where you fit in, or if you even fit in at all.

"Hey," Hellboy said, placing his left hand on her back. "We'll figure it out together. Okay?"

Liz looked up at him. Tears had started welling up in her eyes, but she gave a small smile, one of the tears breaking free and leaving a trail down her right cheek. She got up on her knees and wrapped her arms around him, letting out a few quiet sobs.

.

.

.

The next day, Hellboy walked down to the I&O wing with a stack of Lobster Johnson comics, a blank spiral notebook, a few pens of different colors and a plate of pancakes balanced precariously on top of the items that lay flat in his large stone hand. In his left hand was another, slightly larger, stack of pancakes.

He saw his father walking down the hall in the opposite direction with a clipboard and a few manila folders tucked under his arm. They both uncomfortably locked eyes and stopped walking, about 5 feet separating them.

There was an awkward pause, then Trevor spoke.

"Having a breakfast date with our guest?" He sounded tense, but there was some playfulness in his voice, albeit forced.

"Yep," Hellboy said, shifting his weight to his left leg.

Trevor nodded and gave a forced smile, walking closer. He leaned in and said in a low voice, "They, uh… changed the passcode after what happened yesterday. Six-three-nine-one."

Hellboy was thoroughly confused. He had completely expected for there to be some sort of argument and had everything he would say and do planned out in great detail. He was somewhat relieved to not need to argue his case, but it would have been all the same to him. Hellboy was extremely stubborn and didn't back down from much, even when he probably should. Maybe that's why Trevor was waving the white flag – it was almost impossible to win when Hellboy had his mind set on something, and it seemed that, at times, he derived joy from being bullheaded. Or maybe what Hellboy had said to him the previous day made him rethink things.

Hellboy nodded and went on his way, and Trevor his. Once he got to Liz's door, he sat one of the plates on a nearby table so he could punch in the new number and swipe his security card. The nearby agents all seemed very confused by Hellboy knowing the new passcode, but they all knew better than to confront him about it. One new employee opened her mouth to say something, but one of the agents stopped her with a firm touch of her shoulder and shake of the head.

He propped the door open with his hoof and grabbed the plate off the table. He entered Liz's room, letting the door close behind him. He smiled over at Liz, who was sitting on her bed, scrunched up in the corner with her blanket wrapped tightly around her. The only thing that was visible was her face from the eyes up. It looked like she had been crying.

"Hey, sis," Hellboy said brightly. "Hope you're hungry." He walked over and sat the pancakes on her bedside table.

Liz looked up at him with glassy, bloodshot amber eyes. "Not really…"

Hellboy frowned and sat the notebook, pens and comics at the other end of the bed, taking a seat on the edge of the bed and looking back at her. "Hey, come on. You should at least eat some of it. Just a few bites. I brought you a notebook to write in, like a journal, and some comics. I hope you like Lobster Johnson."

She looked at the floor with a thousand-yard stare. Hellboy quietly observed her for a full minute. She didn't move, make a sound or even blink. It barely looked like she was breathing. She might as well have been frozen in stasis.

"Liz?" Hellboy asked in a very soft voice. She didn't appear to hear him and continued to stare at the floor. He carefully leaned toward her with his left hand outstretched. He put his palm on her shoulder.

As soon as he made contact, Liz let out a shriek and flame shot from the shoulder Hellboy was touching, charring the blanket that was wrapped around her. It startled the hell out of him, but he forced himself to keep his hand on her shoulder, wrapping his fingers firmly around to maintain his grip despite the flames that were growing. Liz began hysterically convulsing, crying and screaming, trying to writhe out of his grasp.

"Don't TOUCH ME!" Liz screamed. "Don't FUCKING TOUCH ME!" Her voice was reaching a pitch that Hellboy didn't originally think possible for someone of her size, and he briefly entertained the idea of possession.

The agents outside of her room all started scrambling, some fleeing in terror, others calling on their radios or over the intercom, some slipping on AFP suits.

"Liz!" Hellboy yelled over her screams. "Calm down! You need to calm down!"

Fire started to engulf the rest of her body as she struggled to get free from his grip. She convulsed so violently that Hellboy momentarily worried that she would snap her own neck in her throes. She started to swing at Hellboy with her tiny, clenched fists, most of her blows landing on his face and chest. Her punches were nothing to Hellboy – he had obviously fought monsters much more formidable than an eleven year-old girl – but he had to admit that her punches were pretty impressive. Her fists being on fire probably helped.

"Leave me alone!" She sobbed. "Just stop! Leave me alone! I want you all to just leave me alone, goddamnit!"

Her body was entirely engulfed in flames and her bed, even though it was flame retardant, was starting to succumb to the intense heat, as was her clothing.

"Jeez!" Hellboy said, mostly to himself as he watched the bed begin to warp. He slid closer to Liz, ignoring the flames and almost getting headbutted by her in her thrashing. It wasn't himself that he was worried about. He could take a beating like no other. This girl might have a unique ability, but she was very much an average human girl, and smacking her head into Hellboy's extremely thick skull at this velocity might cause severe injury.

Hellboy watched her for a few moments. She had a very faraway look in her eyes. She didn't seem to even know where she was or who she was. She almost seemed like she wasn't there at all – nobody was home and all the lights were off. Liz was just a screaming, burning, crying, violently thrashing body.

Hellboy noticed some agents in AFP suits starting to come into the room out of the corner of his eye. He glanced over and saw two of them had tranquilizer guns at the ready. Without thinking, Hellboy grabbed Liz in a sort of bearhug, easily blocking their line of sight. They were yelling at him to get out of the way and he readily ignored them.

No more than an inch from her ear, Hellboy began gently whispering to her. "C'mon, kid. You gotta pull out of this. Do it for me. We're gonna figure this out together, remember?"

Liz's convulsions began to die down, and, with them, her flames. Her breathing picked up like she had just sprinted down the street and back. She suddenly went very limp in Hellboy's arms. He easily supported her weight and kept her close to his chest.

"Red…" She very quietly choked out, voice beyond hoarse from the shrieking. "I'm tired… what happened, where… where's mom and dad? Where's Jacob?"

Hellboy started petting the top of her head with his left hand. "Don't worry about that right now, sis. Get some sleep."

Hellboy took her over to the small couch in the corner and laid her down, placing a thin sheet over her. She kept making sounds of protest, but was ultimately taken by exhaustion within seconds. Parts of her clothing had burnt away, despite being flame resistant, but it was probably the least important concern at the moment. For the first time, he noticed that his black undershirt had mostly been burned away, and what remained of it was smoldering, leaving most of his chest and abdomen exposed. His duster, which was flame resistant, received minimal damage.

He turned to the agents that were crowding in the doorway and opened his mouth to say something when a page came for him over the intercom. Whenever he was paged, it almost always meant he was getting sent on another assignment. He glanced back at Liz who was peacefully asleep. A random passerby would never have known what had taken place just a few minutes ago.

He sighed as he looked back at the agents. "Let her get some rest before you do anything," he said gruffly. It was clearly not a request.

He barreled past them and made his way to his mission briefing, unsure of where he was going and for how long.


	2. Twelve

**April 1974**

Upon examination, Hellboy determined that the cake was cooled down enough to begin the frosting process. He opened the jar of strawberry frosting, pulled out an icing spatula from the drawer and got to work. It wasn't a very large cake – perhaps enough for 3 or 4 people – so Hellboy was excited at the prospect of leftover frosting. His tail swished ever so slightly at the thought of eating it straight from the jar.

Professor Bruttenholm rounded the corner that led into the kitchen and stopped in the doorway, seeing Hellboy from behind. He hadn't necessarily anticipated seeing his adopted son in the kitchen, and definitely not this early in the morning. It was a little after 9 a.m. – a reasonable time to be awake to most – but Hellboy didn't tend to get out of bed before at least 11 a.m. unless it was work-related.

Trevor leaned a little to the left to get a look at what his son was up to and had to do a double take. Yes, he was, indeed, frosting a cake. He smiled to himself, for he had caught him at exactly the right moment.

Trevor cleared his throat to announce his approach as he crossed the threshold into the kitchen, even though Hellboy had to have known he was there. Even if Trevor had been absolutely silent in his movement, Hellboy would have undoubtedly been able to sense him in some way. He had always demonstrated a kind of sixth sense, even as a small child, often feeling, sensing and seeing things that couldn't be explained through any conventional means. It was part of what made him the world's greatest paranormal investigator.

"What's the occasion?" Trevor asked cheekily, obviously up to something, as he opened the fridge, pulling out a jug of orange juice and placing it on the counter.

"What?" Hellboy asked with mock defensiveness as he finished frosting the outer part of the cake, moving onto the top. "A guy can't make a cake just 'cuz he feels like it?"

Trevor took a glass out of the cabinet and filled it halfway, repeating the question playfully. "What's the occasion?"

"Liz turns twelve today. Figured I'd do what I could to make it special."

Trevor felt a warmness growing in his chest, a physical manifestation of pride for having raised such a kind soul. Hellboy may have grown to be a man that was rough around the edges, but his heart was always in the right place. Trevor had done well in making a man out of a demon.

"Ah, yes, Miss Sherman's birthday," Trevor said with a chuckle. He dug around inside his suit pocket and pulled out a tiny box with a very tiny red Mylar bow stuck to the top, sitting it on the counter near the cake. "Give this to her, won't you?"

Before Hellboy could react, Trevor had grabbed his glass of orange juice and vanished back out the kitchen door. He stared down at the tiny box as he finished icing the cake. Putting the spatula up to his mouth, he began licking it clean and was happy to see that there was nearly half a jar of strawberry frosting left for him. He put the spatula in the sink and turned to the box. As always, curiosity got the better of him and he carefully pulled the lid off.

In the box was a brass key with the number '302' etched into the bow.

It took Hellboy a moment, but the pieces all started falling into place. He had remembered seeing some people working on one of the spare apartments over the course of a few days, and that spare apartment in question was room 302. He hadn't thought anything of it. People moved in and out of HQ pretty often, so seeing an apartment getting painted and furniture being moved in hadn't roused any suspicions.

He scooped up the key, slid it in his pants pocket and hid the cake in the fridge behind a bag of lettuce, hoping it would be enough camouflage from any wandering agent or office person with a sweet tooth. He walked out of the kitchen and made his way to the west wing where the apartments were and stopped when he reached 302. He grabbed the key from his pocket and hesitantly put it in the lock, turning it. He pushed the door open and almost couldn't believe it.

The walls had been painted oasis blue. There was a small couch and a recliner in the living room, facing a small television set. There were some clothes hanging in the closet in her bedroom, a toybox with a few toys inside and some board games sitting on top. There was a little bookshelf with some young adult novels. A small radio was on her bedside table. Most importantly, there was a bed that looked much more comfortable than the stiff thing she'd been sleeping on for the better half of a year.

Hellboy moved deeper into the small apartment. He walked into the kitchen and noticed that the stove had been removed. It was understandable. Liz was a little too young to be using a stove without supervision, plus most of the stoves at HQ were gas-powered. It might not be the best mix. Also in the kitchen was a fridge and a small table with 2 chairs. On the table sat a small bowl of fruit – apples, oranges and bananas.

Hellboy walked over to the door that led into the bathroom. It was a pretty small bathroom, but he wasn't complaining.

He was a little shocked that Trevor gave this the greenlight. Then again, Liz hadn't had an episode since the 2nd day she had arrived at the Bureau. It had been about 9 months and there had been absolutely no evidence of pyrokinetic activity.

Something on the ceiling caught his eye as he turned back around and he looked up. A sprinkler system had been installed. It irritated him a little at first, but he quickly backed off from the idea of bringing it up with his father. Liz was still technically a hazard, and it was just a precaution. Hellboy was just happy to see her released from the I&O wing and have a slightly more normal existence.

Then he noticed the window in the living room. The only window in the whole apartment. It was barred. The bars weren't there before. Hellboy stared at the window in silent anger, and the longer he stared, the more the bars started to remind him of a prison cell.

_So_, Hellboy thought bitterly, _The girl's gone close to a year without an incident of any sort, and she's not getting treated much better than a criminal_…

He took a deep breath and tried to rationalize before his temper got the better of him. He had to fight the sudden urge to rip the bars off with his bare hands.

_It's a step in the right direction_, Hellboy thought, trying to talk himself down from doing something that would ruin the progress that had been made. _Those bars will get taken off in another couple months._

Hellboy gave the apartment one last look and walked out into the hallway, locking the door behind him. He headed back to the kitchen, dug the cake out of the fridge and put the key back in its box. He slid the box into his pocket, grabbed 2 paper plates and as many plastic forks. He sat them off to the side and pulled out a large knife to cut the cake with. Sharp objects weren't allowed in the I&O wing, so Hellboy had to do the cake cutting beforehand. It wasn't that Liz in particular was seen as a threat to herself or others; it was just a precaution since most of the people in I&O were usually considered unstable in some way.

Hellboy dropped the knife in the sink, scooped up the cake, plates and forks and walked down to the I&O wing, hooves clip-clopping on the linoleum the whole way. He neared the observation window and saw Liz on her bed, lying on her belly and writing in one of her notebooks, legs bent up in the air and slowly moving up and down. He punched in the passcode, swiped his card (they had eventually given him his own since the agent that dropped his had quit after Liz's first day, and it was confusing the system and the people in payroll to have his name still showing up even though he was officially not in the system) and entered Liz's room.

She looked up at him from her bed and smiled from ear to ear when she saw the cake in his hand.

"Happy birthday, kid," Hellboy said as he walked over to her bed, sitting the cake on her bedside table.

Liz dropped her pen and closed her notebook, marking her place. "How'd you know?"

"It was in your file," Hellboy said. "But, to be fair, I did make a point to remember it. I haven't looked at your file since the first day you got here."

Liz's eyes got a little misty as she looked up at him from the bed and Hellboy got a little uncomfortable, thinking she was going to get all emotional on him. He'd never been too good at handling emotion – even his own – but having Liz around had given him some practice. He'd become pretty good at half-ass comforting her. Luckily for Hellboy, Liz collected herself and smiled again.

"Thanks, Red," Liz hopped up on her knees in a fluid motion and threw her arms around his waist, resting the side of her head on his belly.

Hellboy caressed the back of her head with his left hand. Along with emotions, he had also gotten better with physical contact. It didn't make him quite as uncomfortable as it did before, and he even found himself reciprocating and giving it unsolicited from time to time. He didn't like to admit it, but it felt kind of… nice.

"Don't mention it. I couldn't really put candles on it for you to blow out, but you can still make a wish, y'know? It's chocolate with strawberry frosting. I remember you said that was your favorite."

"Make a wish?" Liz asked incredulously, letting go of his waist and pulling her face away from his belly, looking up at him from the bed. She scrunched up her nose. "How old do you think I am? That's kid stuff."

"What, you're turning twelve, so you're suddenly too good for tradition?" He shook his head in mock disgust.

Liz looked around the room, back at Hellboy, then around the room again. After a moment of thought, she closed her eyes and was silent for a few seconds. When she opened them again, she snagged a paper plate from the bedside table.

"Okay, I made your silly wish," She said impatiently, "Can we have cake now?"

Hellboy chuckled and put the biggest slice on her plate. It was crazy how comfortable she had become around him. He was the only one as far as he knew that Liz had opened up to to this degree since arriving at the Bureau. It was like she was an entirely different person without him around. When Hellboy was around, she usually became like a normal little girl – silly, sassy, playful – but when he wasn't, it was like the life was drained from her. She became quiet and withdrawn; almost depressed. The only way Liz would even open up to her visiting therapist was if Hellboy agreed to sit in on the session. She almost always looked at Hellboy when her therapist asked a question, and Hellboy never said a word in response – only nodded as if to say "go ahead; it's safe." It was as if she relied on him for strength and confidence. It had gotten to the point to where the therapist would refuse to see Liz unless he was there. According to the therapist, all Liz would do in his absence was shrug and say "I don't know" to everything.

Liz was shoveling the cake in her mouth, barely chewing before swallowing, and Hellboy had half a mind to tell her to slow down, but he knew better than to boss her around, especially on her birthday. Hellboy's attitude had definitely rubbed off on her. She had a smartass comeback to everything, and even he wasn't safe from them. Hellboy had created a monster.

Hellboy plated some cake for himself and sat down on the bed next to her, taking a bite.

"Did you make this?" Liz barely managed to say through a mouthful of cake.

"Mm-hmm," He said, nodding, not daring to talk with his mouth full like _some _people.

"Oh, my God," She said after swallowing. "It's fucking amazing."

Hellboy almost choked on his cake as he swallowed. "Hey! What have I told you about that?"

Liz rolled her eyes. "You cuss all the time," She muttered under her breath as she stuffed more cake in.

They sat in silence for a few moments as they ate.

"Thanks, though," Hellboy said as he sat his empty plate on the bedside table. "I worked pretty hard on it."

"Where'd you learn to cook?" Liz asked, putting her empty plate on top of his.

"The professor," Hellboy said. "He thinks it's 'proper' for a man to know his way around a kitchen."

"Well, I'm glad you paid attention," Liz said, placing a hand on her stomach. "Maybe you could teach me some recipes sometime. My parents didn't really show me how to cook much."

Hellboy slipped his hand into his pocket and felt for the box. He pulled it out and handed it to her.

"Well, they had to take the stove out, but I can convince them to get you an electric one eventually," A little smile came across his lips. "Then we can cook all the time."

Liz looked at the box, clearly confused at what he was saying. She opened the box and held the key up between her thumb and forefinger. Hellboy observed her face as the wheels started turning. Finally, her eyes widened as all the puzzle pieces snapped into place.

"Wait, really?" Liz asked in disbelief. "Is this really what I think it is?"

"Twelve years old, already getting your own apartment," Hellboy teased.

Liz threw herself on him, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing as tightly as she could.

"Thank you!" Her voice caught in her throat. She began sobbing.

_Aw, jeez_, Hellboy thought. _There it is_…

He wrapped his arms around her, being very careful with his right arm. "Don't thank me. This was all Trevor's doing."

Still, the girl stayed stuck on him like a leech, getting her sobs under control. She finally loosened her hold on him until she was straddling his lap and looking up at him. "When can I see it?"

"Why don't we go now?" Hellboy asked.

Liz's face lit up with excitement and she hopped off of his lap, scampering over to the door to wait for him. He walked in front of her, leading the way. As they walked out in the hallway, Liz lunged forward and grabbed his left hand, suddenly overwhelmed with anxiety. Hellboy stopped and looked down at her to see if she was okay. She nodded after a few seconds, giving him permission to keep going.

Hellboy walked with his eyes straight forward, refusing to make eye contact with any nearby agents or office workers. Liz, however, was a different story. She couldn't help but make eye contact with every single person, because they were all staring at her. She could feel their eyes on her. She could feel their judgment, fear and mistrust. They all had to have been made aware that Liz was being moved out of I&O, otherwise her and Hellboy would have been stopped long ago, but it didn't help relieve much of the tension in the air. There were hushed whispers, awkward silences and sideways glances aplenty.

Hellboy must have sensed her unease, because he squeezed her hand gently, encouraging her to keep going. It worked and she kept her eyes carefully fixed forward until they arrived at her door.

Hellboy stopped and gestured to the door with his free right hand. "You do the honors."

Liz, with visibly shaking hands, put the key in the lock and opened the door. She pushed it open and slowly wandered in. Hellboy stood in the doorway, observing her. Her eyes were big in amazement and slightly misty. She disappeared into the kitchen, the bathroom, and came back out in the living room with tears running down her face. She seemed at a loss for words, mouth hanging open and little inarticulate sounds escaping.

Hellboy knew what to do to settle her back down. He instinctively opened his arms and Liz walked over. He carefully picked her up and held her to his chest. He walked into the apartment and quietly closed the door behind them, wanting to maintain some privacy. He carefully swayed back and forth with her, stroking her hair with his flesh hand. She eventually laid her head on his chest, her tears soaking into his shirt.

"I know it ain't The Ritz-" Hellboy gently began, almost quietly enough to be a whisper, but Liz cut him off.

"It's perfect," She said in a strained voice. "It's better than I deserve."

Hellboy was silent for a moment, but continued to sway with her. He rested his chin on the top of her head. Liz had fallen into these moods more with each passing day. It was alarming for someone her age to be able to feel as profoundly and to fall as low as she often did, but it was entirely understandable at the same time. It was apparent that she blamed herself for the accident, despite all the progress she had made with Hellboy and her therapist.

Hellboy patted her back. "You deserve a lot more, sis," He said tenderly, trying to steer the conversation in another direction. "I'm gonna get you into one of the really nice apartments. One of the ones with a Jacuzzi bath and a little side yard."

Liz looked up at him with sudden interest. "You have a Jacuzzi?"

Hellboy nodded. "I have one of the nicest apartments on HQ. The people with permanent residency have them. Ones like this are usually for temporary residents."

"So... I'll leave eventually?" She sounded almost sad.

"Well," Hellboy started, choosing his words carefully. "Right now, you're kind of a ward of the bureau. You're sort of like… our foster kid. The way they make it sound, once you're eighteen, you'll be able to choose whether or not you stay. But I'm pretty sure you're stuck with us until you're an adult."

Liz considered this silently and put her head back on his chest, hugging him a little tighter.

"I always want to be stuck with you," She said quietly into his chest.

For all of Liz's attitude and for all of Hellboy's cold, distant nature, there were times when her words made him weak like nobody else ever could.

"Hey," Hellboy said, gently breaking the silence. "How about we move your stuff in real quick?"

Liz nodded and wiggled out of his arms. She grabbed his hand and they began walking back to her room in I&O. It wouldn't take more than one trip to move her things since she wasn't allowed very many posessions. Hellboy had given her several notebooks and comic books, but that was all she really had.

When they got back to her old room, Liz gathered up her writing utensils in her little zipup pouch and a small stack of her most recent journals. Hellboy grabbed the rest of her older journals and all the comics he had given her. Once they had the items in hand, Liz took one last look around the room and nodded, indicating that that was everything. They walked out of the I&O room, both of them happy to leave it behind.

Once they got back to Liz's new room, Hellboy just stood there, waiting for her to decide where she wanted her things to go. He didn't want to influence her in any way. Liz getting her own space was probably more important to Hellboy than it was to her. He was excited for her and wanted her to be able to feel in control of her surroundings for a change.

Liz decided to put the journals on the middle shelf. She began sliding them in and Hellboy came to stand next to her to await instruction on what to do with the journals and comics he had. As he watched her slide the most recent journal into the shelf, he noticed the corner of the journal.

It was charred, ever so slightly.

He felt his heart drop.

In that split second, he had a million thoughts race through his head. This was a massive deal. Everyone was under the impression that Liz had been incident-free for the last 9 months, with not so much as a hiccup. But this was definitely, at the very least, a hiccup – and a potentially dangerous one at that.

Just as Hellboy started debating on whether or not to question her, she spoke.

"Okay, put the comics on the bottom. I'll sort them later. Hand me the journals."

Hellboy silently obeyed, trying to not let on that he had seen anything.

He watched Liz arrange her journals in a kind of stunned silence. He felt like everything was moving in slow motion. He felt that bringing this up with his father was the right thing to do, but… Hellboy also knew that meant she would get shoved back into I&O. That would destroy her and probably undo all of the progress they had made. It could possibly make her not even trust Hellboy if she found out he was the one that blew the whistle. He was the only one she seemed to trust at all.

_Damn_, Hellboy thought to himself.

Liz hopped up from her crouched position suddenly, yanking Hellboy out of his fight with himself.

"Now," Liz said mischievously, holding her hand out to him. "About that Jacuzzi…"

Hellboy stood and took her hand with his left one. He quietly led her to his apartment, feeling his insides turn to ice with each passing second.


	3. Thirteen

**October 1975**

Very carefully, Hellboy pulled away the motorcycle cover, revealing his pride and joy: his 1973 Kawasaki Z1. He bunched up the cover in his stone hand and leaned back against his tool cart, just admiring its beauty.

The boys at the Bureau liked to give him flak for getting a Japanese model, but he didn't care. Hellboy wasn't a very materialistic kind of guy, but nobody could come between him and his baby. When he took his bike out to a secluded stretch of highway, no matter what he was dealing with in his personal life, it helped center him again. It was like a therapy session, only he didn't have to answer any bullshit questions about his childhood.

Hellboy was desperate to get some "therapy" in before the season started changing from fall to winter. This was the first time in almost a year that he had enough free time to go on a cruise. Work had been crazy and constant.

He walked over to the key rack on the wall and slipped the Kawasaki key off its hook, slipping it into his pocket. He grabbed his helmet off the nearby shelf. He obviously didn't need a helmet for protection – he was about as indestructible as they came. He only wore it to keep the wind out of his face, keep debris out of his eyes and to make it less likely for him to draw unwanted attention.

Just as he was about to slip the helmet on, he heard little footsteps on the other side of the garage door, where his apartment was. The only person that had access (and his permission) to enter his apartment, besides his father, was Liz.

The door slowly creeked open and there stood Liz.

"You fixed it?" She asked, closing his apartment door behind her and stepping out into the garage.

Hellboy was confused. "It was never broken."

"Oh," Liz shrugged, walking closer to it. "I've never seen you actually ride it. I just figured it had something wrong with it."

"Nope," Hellboy said, resting the helmet under his arm and holding it against his hip. "Just haven't had the time 'til now."

Liz gently touched the glossy, black body of the bike with the tip of her finger. "My dad's bike always seemed to be having issues, but he got it fixed up enough to take me on rides every now and then. His wasn't as nice as yours, though."

She was quiet for a few moments, her eyes glassing over. She seemed to be remembering something from the past. The expression on her face seemed to be one of longing; almost sad. Liz smiled abruptly, obviously forcing it. She looked up at him and started to turn back to his apartment door.

"Well," She started. "I'll see you when you get back. 'Night of the Living Dead' is playing on TV later. Maybe we could watch it?"

"Hey," Hellboy said just as her hand touched the doorknob. "I've got a smaller helmet somewhere if you wanted to tag along. You're gonna need to grab a coat, though. It's pretty cold."

Excitement flashed in Liz's eyes for a moment. "You don't have to do that. I don't wanna slow you down."

"No, really," Hellboy said as he sat his helmet down and began searching for the other helmet. "You need to get out more, and I could use some company."

Truth be told, Hellboy would have preferred to go on his cruise alone, but he found himself compelled to please Liz in every way possible. The funny thing, though, was that he got more pleasure from making Liz happy than if he just focused on his own desires. It was altruism in its purest form. He had far exceeded at filling the role of big brother.

Hellboy turned his head when he didn't hear her open the door. She still stood with her hand on the knob, looking at him, seemingly trying to observe him to see if he really wanted her to come along, or was just offering out of pity.

"Go get your coat," Hellboy shooed her away, waving his stone hand in the air.

Liz took off in a flash, not even closing the garage door all the way. She came running back in less than a minute, zipping her coat up around her neck. Hellboy handed her the helmet. She slipped it on and Hellboy crouched down in front of her to make sure it fit well. He didn't plan on crashing or for Liz to fall off the bike, but he was always cautious when it came to her safety. He didn't want to take any chances.

Hellboy pressed a button on the garage wall and the door slid open. He grabbed his helmet and slid it on. He straddled the bike and slid toward the back, patting the seat in front of him. Liz climbed up with some help from him, her legs dangling off the sides. Hellboy leveled the bike out and pushed the kickstand back with his hoof.

"Alright," He said, taking the key out of his pocket and sliding it into the ignition. "Lean your back against my chest and keep your hands either on the seat or on the gas tank area. You have pegs to put your feet on down here." He reached down and gently guided her legs to them. "Just make sure you don't touch the exhaust pipes. They get pretty hot. Ready?"

Liz nodded and Hellboy turned the key, the Kawasaki roaring to life. He inched it out into the driveway and, once they were out of the garage completely, he pressed a button on his keychain, which caused the door to slide back down.

There were a few security checkpoints to pass before they could get off BPRD HQ grounds, which caused Hellboy a little bit of worry. Liz hadn't left the property very much since she had arrived, and she always had a small squad of government officials babysitting her when she did, watching her for the slightest sign that she was going to go supernova. There wasn't a rule in place that she had to stay on Bureau grounds; it was just that Liz never showed much of an interest in leaving, and she hated the "suits" following her around, looking at her like she was a bomb. There wasn't a rule that the suits had to necessarily be present, either. It was just a precaution that Trevor took whenever Liz needed to go somewhere off base.

Hellboy came to a stop at one of the checkpoints and flashed his badge at the security officer. The officer waved him on, and he rolled up to the second checkpoint. He flashed his badge at the security officer. She stared at him for a moment, then down at Liz. After a moment, she grabbed her radio and muttered something into it. She held it up to her ear. Hellboy couldn't hear anything over the roar of the motorcycle engine. After a few moments of chattering back and forth on the radio, the officer waved him on.

Hellboy cruised at a steady 20 MPH until they reached the end of the driveway, then gradually picked up speed as they turned onto the highway until he got up to about 60 MPH.

Hellboy obviously couldn't see Liz's face, but he felt like she was enjoying herself. She was turning her head this way and that, even though there wasn't much to see on the almost-desolate stretch of highway. There were a few farms, houses and businesses every 5 miles or so, but no real sightseeing to speak of.

It wasn't the most ideal weather for riding, but it didn't bother him one bit. It was a chilly, cloudy, slightly foggy autumn afternoon; the type of weather that made you want to sleep or spend all day cuddled up on the couch with some warm tea and a good book.

He noticed Liz was shivering a bit, her hands tucked up in the sleeves of her coat. It was hard for Hellboy to remember how cold too cold was for a "normal" person since temperature didn't affect him quite as much.

He looked up ahead and saw a little diner off in the distance. It was the kind of diner that you'd see almost anywhere – very "Ma 'n Pa," from its backlit marquee displaying the soup of the day to large windows. He tapped Liz on the shoulder and pointed ahead at the diner. She nodded and Hellboy turned into the parking lot.

He parked the bike, put the kickstand out and stepped off. He grabbed Liz and helped her down onto the concrete. He carefully removed her helmet, strands of her auburn hair levitating with static electricity.

"Hungry?" He asked, removing his own helmet.

"Y-yeah," She shivered, putting her hands into her coat pockets. "I d-didn't eat anything this m-morning."

"What have I told you about not eating?" He scolded her as he led the way to the diner entrance.

"S-sorry that some of us aren't human garbage d-disposals and have to eat every t-ten seconds," Liz muttered as she followed him.

Hellboy held the door open for her and she walked in. There was an awkward silence, as there often was, when Hellboy walked in. The place wasn't packed, but there was a fair amount of people. Hellboy didn't look at any of them directly, but he could tell they were all staring at him. He ignored them, following Liz to a booth seat. He was about to sit on the opposite side of her when she stopped him.

"Sit by me," Liz ordered, not the slightest hint of suggestion in her voice.

Hellboy obeyed, the worn, but oddly comfortable, booth squeaking under his bulk. Without a word, she lifted the back of his shirt up and put her freezing cold hands on his back.

"Ahhh…" She sighed. "You're like a radiator."

Hellboy opened up one of the menus sitting on the table and began browsing.

"We both already know what you're gonna get," Liz groaned. "Hold the menu so I can see it."

Hellboy's golden eyes wandered guiltily away from the pancake section and, once again, obeyed his 13-year-old master, holding the menu up to her as she sapped his body heat.

_Chocolate chip or blueberry…?_ Hellboy wondered silently to himself. _Maybe strawberry… _

"Hey, guys, what can-" A waitress asked as she approached from behind. She went silent when she saw Hellboy, but she collected herself, her voice going from peppy to apprehensive. She cleared her throat and went on, holding up her order pad close to her face. "What can I get ya'll to drink?"

Hellboy noted the change, but chose to not acknowledge it.

"I'll have a water, please," Hellboy said.

The young waitress scribbled on her order pad, turning her attention to Liz. When Liz didn't react, Hellboy waved a hand in her face.

"I'm still thinking – gimme a minute…" Liz said, still looking at the menu.

"Oh, my gosh," Hellboy grumbled. "We've been sitting here for five minutes and you don't even know what you wanna drink… jeez."

Liz smacked his back.

"Um… I guess I'll have chocolate milk," Liz said, taking her hands off of Hellboy's back and swiping the menu from his hand so she could get a better look and browse at her own leisure.

The waitress nodded, stiffly walking back toward the kitchen, face drained of color as if she'd seen a ghost.

"She's cute," Liz said, swinging her legs back and forth under the table.

Hellboy couldn't argue. She was thin. A little on the short side. Long, blonde hair, bright blue eyes. Clear skin. High cheekbones. Big, pouty lips. She looked like the cheerleader type…

He gave Liz a sidelong glance, suddenly suspicious of her comment. "Yeah, what do you want me to do about it?"

"You should ask her on a date," Liz whispered, grinning.

"First of all," Hellboy started, being as quiet as possible. "She looks like she's going to faint just from looking at me. Second, she looks like she's probably still in high school. Third, you know I'm not looking for anyone."

Liz rolled her eyes. "Red, you need a girlfriend."

"Why?" He asked.

"I dunno, you just do," Liz said back.

"I really don't," Hellboy said, starting to get a little annoyed. "It would just complicate things."

"I'm gonna get you a girlfriend, mark my words," Liz mumbled.

"If you can find a girl that's worth my time and doesn't get scared at the sight of me, then-" He cut himself off, hearing the waitress approach.

There was no way that she didn't hear him.

With slightly shaking hands, she placed the glasses on the table, but not in front of them – closer to the edge. She pulled out her order pad and pen, eyes darting between Hellboy, then back up to the pad again.

"Do ya'll know what you want yet?" She uncomfortably asked.

"I'll have blueberry pancakes, please," Hellboy quietly said.

"Predictable," Liz said, pinching his arm.

"At least I know what I want," Hellboy retorted. "Unlike _some _people."

"Shut up," Liz said, flipping through the menu. "Um… I'll have… um… a bacon and cheese omelet."

The waitress scribbled their orders down and held her shaking hand out for the menu. Hellboy took the menu from Liz and handed it to the waitress, who took it in her hand as if it might explode. She walked back to the kitchen to put their order in.

"Yeah, I guess a date with her might be a little awkward," Liz reasoned. "Maybe you should date one of the girls at the Bureau."

"Like I said," Hellboy said curtly, leaning back in the booth. "Not lookin' for anyone."

"She'll happen along when you least expect it," Liz said with a smirk, taking a sip of her chocolate milk.

Hellboy crossed his arms over his chest and stared at the ceiling. If Hellboy was being perfectly honest with himself, he did want someone, but no female he'd ever met really held his attention. The few that did eventually displayed some quality that he found unappealing and he quickly lost what little interest he had. He'd been set up by some of the guys at the Bureau on a fair number of dates, and they either ended disastrously or disappointingly. He still had some hope that she was out there somewhere, but he had largely given up. He wasn't entirely sure if there was anyone out there for him.

The waitress came back with their food, and it was a wonder that she didn't drop the plates with her shaking. She set the plates down on the table, sliding Liz's omelet near her and sitting the pancakes near Hellboy, but not daring to actually put her arm in front of him. She placed the bill on the edge of the table and turned away.

Despite Hellboy's growing discomfort from her behavior, he maintained his manners.

"Thank you," He said as she walked away.

Liz had already started in on her omelet. Hellboy couldn't really bring himself to dig in as he normally would, feeling bad through no fault of his own. People's reactions to him never got easier. There were the rare occasions where people hardly reacted to him at all and he felt almost normal.

Almost.

Hellboy picked at his pancakes with his fork, but he never even tried to take a bite. He hadn't even bothered putting syrup on the damn things. His appetite was completely ruined. He just patiently waited for Liz to finish her food, sipping his water every now and then.

Liz ate the final piece of her omelet and wiped her mouth off with a napkin. The few times when Liz ate more than a mouthful of food, it was impressive how much she could put away. She almost put Hellboy to shame. She drank the rest of her chocolate milk and put the glass on the table.

"You done?" Hellboy asked, unconsciously extending his leg out of the booth and out into the walkway.

"Yeah," Liz said, following his lead as he got out of his seat and stood. "Hey, you didn't finish your pancakes. You feeling okay?"

"Yeah," He said, pulling a twenty-dollar bill out of his wallet and leaving it on the table. The bill was only around seven dollars, but he didn't want to wait around for the waitress to count out his change. He just wanted to get back home.

Liz gave him a look of concern, but he refused to make eye contact with her. He led the way to the door and she followed. She caught a glimpse of a clock on the way out of the door.

"Hey!" Liz suddenly blurted out. "We should be able to make it back in time to watch 'Night of the Living Dead!'"


	4. Fourteen

**November 1976**

Hellboy pulled up to the Bureau and parked the company van in the parking garage. He pulled the key out and sat there in silence for what was only less than a minute but felt like an eternity. He took a deep breath and leaned forward, pressing his forehead against the steering wheel, making sure that he didn't scratch anything with his newly-jagged horn stumps. He exhaled, closing his eyes.

_Anung Un Rama,_ he thought with dread.

Hellboy knew he'd ruffle some feathers at the Bureau, but this was a mission that would be getting a very vague report. He didn't want to relive it or even mention it to anyone. He didn't even want to remember that it had happened.

He just wanted to go back to a few days ago, when he didn't officially know anything about his origins.

_I guess ignorance really _is _bliss, _he thought.

He checked the van key back in and placed it on its hook. He walked out of the parking garage and leaned against its wall, looking up at the early morning sky. The sun was just barely starting to show itself, leaving the sky awash in royal blue, with a small strip of orange and pink on the horizon. Some stars were still visible and vibrant.

Hellboy found himself shivering, and he knew it had nothing to do with the cold. He reached into his duster's inner pocket and pulled out his pack of Chesterfields. It was the first brand he had ever smoked. No matter how many others he tried, he always gravitated back to Chesterfields. They always reminded him of Archie.

Hellboy chuckled quietly to himself and reached up with his left hand to touch one of his jagged horn stumps. Archie was the reason why he first took a hacksaw to his horns. Archie had given him his very first existential crisis. Sure, Hellboy had wondered a few times before why he didn't look like anyone else, but it passed. But Archie actually _laughing _at him for not being able to properly wear a peaked cap because of his horns, well… that tipped Hellboy over the edge for a while. Someone that he trusted, admired, even idolized, had laughed at him for being different.

And he was only 4 years old at the time.

He pulled out his Zippo and lit the Chesterfield. He absentmindedly flipped the Zippo open and closed in his left hand as he smoked, occasionally grabbing the cigarette out of his mouth to shake the ashes off the end with his stone hand.

He let the cigarette hang between his lips as he stared at his so-called 'Right Hand of Doom.'

_So, _he thought as he filled his lungs up with smoke. _This thing I've been clobbering bad guys with for the last 20-something years is the key to the apocalypse. That's a thing, I guess._

Hellboy disposed of his cigarette butt and walked into the Bureau, hoping like hell that nobody tried talking to him. He was definitely not in the mood to be bothered. He just wanted to go to his apartment and not leave for a few days.

He heard someone running up behind him as he walked down the hallway, and he turned just in time to see that it was Liz. She jumped up and wrapped her arms around him, and he instinctively wrapped his left arm around her, leaving his right hand hang at his side.

"You're back!" Liz practically squealed into his chest. "Trevor said he wasn't sure when you'd be home…"

Okay, he'd make an exception and let just this one person talk to him.

"Hey, sis," Hellboy said, hoping he was doing a somewhat decent job at masking his inner turmoil. "Yeah, sorry. I would have called, but it got kind of crazy there toward the end."

"I missed you so much…" Liz said into his chest, sounding like she was about to cry.

"I missed you, too, kid," He said, squeezing her ever so slightly.

That little squeeze broke the dam, and Liz's body started jerking as if she were hiccupping. Hellboy felt moisture soaking through his shirt where her face rested.

Hellboy hated having to leave her, even when it was necessary. It was usually like this if he left for much more than a day. She seemed to fall to pieces every time. Hellboy wasn't entirely sure if it was just naturally how she was when she got attached to someone, or if it was because of the accident. He imagined an event like that would traumatize anyone and make them paranoid about people disappearing or dying suddenly. He wanted to ask her, but he didn't want to dig up any bad memories or potentially make her feel like he didn't approve of her behavior. Hellboy always just rolled with anything Liz did or said. He didn't want her to feel any type of judgement or reprehension coming from him.

With Liz still held up against his chest, he continued in the direction of his apartment. He opened the door and shut it behind them, carrying her over to the bed. He sat her down, and when she saw his face clearly, her eyes flared open momentarily in shock.

"Your horns…" She managed to get out, gesturing to her own forehead.

"Yeah," Hellboy said, walking over to his vanity where his handheld belt sander lay. "They grew a bit while I was away."

"No," Liz said, standing up and walking over to him. "You were only gone for about three days. I've been around you for longer than five days straight, and your horns didn't grow in like that."

_Damn, _Hellboy thought, hand resting on the belt sander.

"What really happened while you were gone?" She pressed.

He slowly took his hand away from the belt sander and looked down, meeting her gaze. Liz's expression changed. She went from being suspicious to understanding. She seemed to put the pieces together in a matter of seconds.

"You know what you are now… don't you?"

For some reason, her question put a lump in his throat. He suddenly felt extremely vulnerable in a way that he hadn't felt since the incident with Archie. It was like he was a kid all over again, unsure and self-conscious.

He walked passed her and sat on his bed, covering his face with his stone hand. Liz hopped up on the bed next to him and she tugged on his stone hand, trying to uncover his face. He allowed her to guide it away. She straddled his lap, facing him and wrapped her arms around him.

"It's okay," She said.

He felt tears starting to form. He reciprocated the hug and did his best to keep from crying.

"Maybe you should tell me what happened," Liz said, running her hand through the hair that fell down around his shoulders, the hair that wasn't tied up in his topknot. "It might help. Instead of keeping it inside."

With anyone else – even Trevor – he'd be hesitant to fill them in. But Liz… he felt like he could tell her anything about himself and she wouldn't bat an eye. She was his type of person. She understood him and he understood her. They trusted each other with all kinds of secrets.

Liz pulled back far enough to see his face, waiting for his reaction. He took in a sharp breath and closed his eyes, a single tear escaping, which Liz quickly wiped away as he had done for her numerous times.

"Okay," He finally said, eyes still closed and voice strained. "But if I tell you… you can't tell anyone else."

Liz nodded solemnly, even though he couldn't see her. "I won't."

She had kept secrets in the past, and he knew he could trust her to keep this one.

Hellboy scooted back on the bed, leaving Liz sitting on the edge. He laid his head down on his pillow and pulled his comforter up over his shoulders. Liz leaned up against the headboard, stroking his hair and face gently.

"Okay," Hellboy started. "So, it all started with this dumbass named Igor Bromhead…"


	5. Fifteen

**December 1977**

Hellboy slipped on his duster and sat on his bed to lace up his boots. He normally didn't wear boots or shoes of any kind unless it was wintertime. Hooves and ice didn't exactly cotton.

He walked out into the hallway and closed his apartment door behind him, walking down toward Liz's room. He raised his flesh hand, about to knock, when Liz opened the door. She looked up at him questioningly.

"Hey, kid," He said, resting his arm back down at his side. "Ya busy?"

"Um…" She said, scratching the back of her head. "Not really. Why?"

"I wanted to know if you wanted to go on a walk with me," He said flatly.

Liz pressed her lips in a thin line, causing them to lose color at the center for a moment. Hellboy usually only requested to go on a walk with her if he needed to talk to her about something. It was usually either something good or something bad. She felt an uneasiness growing in her chest.

Hellboy splayed his hands out in front of him, palms facing her, as if showing her that he came in peace. "It's nothing bad. I just needed to know how you felt about an idea the Professor has."

Still unsure, Liz reluctantly turned back into her apartment. When she emerged a few moments later, she had her coat, shoes, gloves and beanie on. They walked out of the Bureau in silence.

They walked down a street cluttered with houses that were decorated from top to bottom for Christmas and made their way to a nearby café. It was Smith's Café – one of Hellboy's favorite places. Hellboy had been to the place countless times, so the employees and most of the customers didn't really react to him, but there were always a few people who weren't familiar with him that would gawk or whisper not-so-quietly to their friends.

"Hey, Red," One of the girls behind the counter said. "The usual?"

"Nah," He waved his left hand. "Two hot chocolates this time. Large."

"Two?" She asked and looked at Liz. "Oh, you brought a friend. What's your name, sweetie?"

"Elizabeth," Liz said quietly.

"Well, hi, Elizabeth," The girl said, smiling. "I'm Rachel. How long have you two known each other?"

Liz looked off to the right, thinking, then looked back at Rachel. "About four years."

"Jeez," Rachel replied, writing down their order and handing it to one of the other girls behind the counter. "And he's never brought you in here before?"

Liz shook her head and leaned against Hellboy, playing with the fingers of his stone hand, still feeling uneasy about the nature of this walk they were on, and not really feeling like social interaction with strangers at the moment.

"Well, that's a shame," Rachel said. "We make some really good stuff here. Maybe when you get a little older, he'll let you try our coffee."

Rachel grabbed the hot chocolates and sat them by the register. Hellboy paid for them and when Rachel handed him the change back, he dropped it all in the 'tip' jar. He grabbed the hot chocolates and handed one to Liz.

"Aww, thanks, big guy," Rachel said, putting both hands over her heart. "You two be careful!"

Hellboy waved over his shoulder as he turned to leave. "You too, Rachel."

They walked down to the nearby park and sat on a bench, watching the people passing by in silence for a few minutes.

"So…" Liz started. "I'm seeing a trend with you."

Hellboy sipped on his hot chocolate, not needing to wait for it to cool. "Oh? What's the trend?"

"You always give pretty girls really big tips," Liz said, smiling.

"Their looks have nothing to do with it," Hellboy said, mildly defensive.

"Ha," Liz said, crossing her legs and leaning back on the bench. "How long have you known Rachel?"

"Gosh. Um…" Hellboy paused to think, also leaning back. He took another drink. "Probably six years now. Almost seven."

"Have you ever asked her out?" Liz asked.

"What?" Hellboy asked, uncomfortable at the question. "No. Why would I ask her out?"

"Well, she's super hot," Liz started. "And she seems really nice. You've known her all this time and it never even occurred to you to ask her out?"

Hellboy held his drink up to his chest and looked up at the sky, letting out a sigh, his breath turning into vapor in the cool winter air. "Yeah, she's really attractive and nice, but that's not enough to get me interested. There's more to it than that."

"Oh, like what?" Liz asked, turning her head to him.

"Well, she needs to…" Hellboy started and trailed off. "She should… I don't know. Why are you so concerned about what I'm after?"

"Ah-ha!" Liz said, pointing at him. "So you admit that you don't even know what you want!"

Hellboy sat up straight and looked down at the ground, resting the hot chocolate on his thigh. "I'll know her when I meet her."

Liz leaned forward, trying to catch his gaze. "Have you ever been in love?"

Hellboy shook his head. "Nah. I've had a few crushes, but nothing beyond that. They didn't last long."

"So, you've never even gone steady with a girl?" Liz asked.

He shook his head again. "Now, if you're done distracting me… the Professor and I were talking."

Liz felt her insides go cold. "Yeah?"

"You can either do it after Christmas break is over, or wait 'til next year so that you can start new with everyone else. But around August, school is going to be starting up," He began. "Trevor thinks it might be good for you to integrate with kids your own age, so he wanted me to present the idea to you."

Liz was quiet, her face unreadable.

"It's totally up to you," Hellboy said when he noticed her hesitation. "You don't have to go if you don't wanna."

"Um, I mean…" She said, starting to bounce her right leg up and down. "Will you be able to come with me?"

Hellboy chuckled a little. "Somethin' tells me that wouldn't be allowed. I'll pick you up and drop you off when I can, as long as I'm not off on a mission. And Trevor'll pull you out if there's any trouble."

Liz stood up without a word and walked along the path. Hellboy followed behind her, waiting for a response. She drank half of her hot chocolate in silence as they walked along, venturing into the woods that was behind the park. They came to a clearing that was covered in a perfectly undisturbed blanket of snow and stood there in silence.

"You know I don't like to be away from you," Liz said, still facing away.

"I know," Hellboy said, walking closer to her. "And, like I said, you don't have to go. Trevor just thinks it'd do you some good. Besides, you're getting older and you'll have your own life separate from me before too long."

Liz turned around and wrapped her arms around him. "No, I won't. You're my life. Even if I did something stupid like get married or something, I'd still want you around. I don't want us to grow apart."

Hellboy put his left hand on the back of her head, holding his hot chocolate in his stone hand. He ran his fingers through the hair that was sticking out of the bottom of her beanie.

"We won't grow apart if you go to public school," Hellboy said gently. "I'll even try to help you with your homework. 'Try' being the key word, because I'm kind of stupid."

Liz laughed and backed away. She took a drink of her hot chocolate and sighed, breath pluming out into mist.

"I dunno," She said, walking off of the sidewalk and into the snow, disturbing the once-perfect blanket of white, the crunching under her boots echoing off of the trees.

"No pressure," Hellboy said. "You've got over half a year to decide. They stop accepting enrollments at the end of June."

Liz bent over and wedged her cup into the snow so it wouldn't fall over. She laid supine with her arms stretched out at her sides and her legs together. She stared up at the sky. It was starting to get dark, the evening sun giving off a warm, orange glow, making everything cast off long, deep shadows. The sky was a hazy mix of dark blue and pink. Everything was still and quiet in their little isolated spot.

"I don't know," Liz said. "I'll have to think on it."

Hellboy nodded. He honestly didn't know which one he wanted her to choose. He was extremely protective of her, and he had heard stories of how cruel of a place school could be, so he wanted her to continue homeschool with her tutor in that regard, but, at the same time, public school might help her get out of her shell. Maybe she'd make some friends, get involved in extracurricular activities, start dating, have a somewhat normal teenage existence.

Liz began moving her arms and legs back and forth, making a snow angel. Hellboy couldn't help but stare after she laid still. With her long auburn hair splayed out from under her beanie on the pure snow, her warm amber eyes reflected in the receding sunlight, and her milky white skin that was only a few shades away from blending in with the snow, she looked like a real angel.

Hellboy came over and laid down on his back in the snow next to her, sitting his cup nearby. He put his stone hand behind his head as a prop and let his left hand rest down at his side.

A demon and his angel.

"Whatever you decide, I'm all for it," He quietly said, breath rising and disappearing in a mist, staring up at the sky with her.

With her gloved hand, she grabbed his left and they loosely laced fingers.


	6. Almost 16

**April 1978**

Hellboy walked down the hall, his hooves clacking loudly on the linoleum, announcing his presence to anyone who might be nearby. He was wearing what was essentially his civvies – a black muscle shirt that looked like it was close to ripping under the bulge of his abs and pecs, and a pair of dark green cargo shorts. The ends of his horn stumps were shinier than normal, evidence that he had grinded them down recently.

It was evident to anyone that had been with the Bureau for more than a few months that he was not only off duty, but he was also going out, a fairly rare occurrence. Hellboy didn't much care for being out in the public eye unless it pertained to work, despite being granted honorary human status by the UN way back in '52. He, unsurprisingly, got odd looks and reactions wherever he went that made him uncomfortable, but Liz wanted to go to the fair, and Hellboy, being the ever-dutiful big brother that he had become, agreed to take her.

He knocked on her bedroom door and heard a distant, muffled "come in" from somewhere within. He walked inside and saw her still getting ready in the bathroom, fussing with her long, auburn hair.

"Jeez," Hellboy said sarcastically. "You about done?"

"Shut your mouth," Liz grumbled. "I'm trying to look my best because Nathan might be there."

Hellboy smirked and shook his head as he sat down at the foot of Liz's bed. "You're still hung up on him? Isn't he a little old for you?"

Nathan was some kid she shared a few classes with. Ever since January, when she started public school, she was completely gaga over him. It hadn't died down much. Almost any time Hellboy asked her how her day at school was, Nathan fit into her description in some way or another. He had even found a scrap of paper sitting on her desk one time that showed her practicing her first name with his last name: Elizabeth Harper.

"He's only seventeen, and I turn sixteen in less than a week, so, hmm-mm, no."

"Didn't you say his birthday is in May?" Hellboy asked, laying flat on his back with his right arm dangling off the side of the bed and his left hand resting on his belly. "So he's pretty much two years older than you."

"Be quiet," Liz snapped, emerging from the bathroom. "How do I look?"

He sat up, using his elbows as support to get a look. She was wearing a pair of dark crimson running shorts, a black tank top and a pair of black Chuck Taylor high tops. She had her hair tied up in a messy bun. Everything was fine until Hellboy got to her makeup, but it was obvious he was either trying to not say anything at all or choose his words very carefully.

"What?" She asked, crossing her arms, sensing his hesitation.

"The… eyeshadow and lipstick is a bit much," Hellboy said, shrugging as best he could with his elbows mashed down into her mattress.

"I think it looks nice," She said defensively.

"Okay, then keep it," He said, shrugging his shoulders as best as he could again. "You asked for my opinion and I gave it."

She stood there for a couple seconds until she gradually slipped back into the bathroom to look in the mirror. It _was _a bit much, she had to agree. Bright blue eyeshadow and fire engine red lipstick didn't exactly suit her, at least not at the same time. She wiped off her lipstick and eyeshadow with some toilet paper until all that was left of either was a faint residue. Her lips were a light red and her eyelids were a light, powdery blue. She slid back out of the bathroom.

"How about now?"

"Much better," Hellboy said, nodding. "Can we go now? I'm hungry."

Liz rolled her eyes and grabbed her purse off her dresser. "You're always hungry."

They walked out to the lobby and Liz stopped suddenly. Hellboy turned to see why she stopped.

"Hey," Liz said, whispering and leaning closer to him. "Maybe you should invite Faith along. In case me and Nathan hook up. Then you won't feel like a third wheel."

Hellboy got a bad taste in his mouth at the mention of that name.

_Faith._

She had started at the BPRD as a secretary a few months back and had a weird obsession with him. She was always cooking and baking stuff for him – just him. He'd never seen or heard of her doing it for anyone else. Any time they crossed paths, she always had to attempt to strike up a conversation where there wasn't one. Whenever Hellboy was waiting in a conference room for a meeting to start, Faith would always rush in just to bring him a coffee or snack of some sort. She had written her phone number and address down and given it to him multiple times, thinking he must have lost it since he had never even made an attempt to call her or stop by when, in reality, he had thrown the paper in his trash or lost it somewhere in his room.

When word got around about her giving him her number and address, several men around the Bureau attempted to bribe Hellboy into giving them the information.

Because Faith was a goddess. She was so beautiful that she didn't look quite real. She was of Korean heritage. She was tall – almost as tall as Hellboy if she was wearing her usual heels - and thin. Her skin was very porcelain-like and flawless. Her hair was raven black, shiny, wavy and went down to her waist if she let it down, but she almost always kept it tied up if she was at the office. She had beautiful, straight white teeth and her eyelashes were naturally long and thick. Her lips were puffy and heart shaped. She had the most perfect hourglass body, and breasts that were somehow both large and perky.

She often came into the office not wearing a bra, which was obvious if you were paying attention to that area, since she usually wore tight blouses with a bit of cleavage showing. Nobody complained, especially not the men. There was a rumor that she didn't wear panties, either.

Hellboy looked around the lobby and saw that Faith's usual spot at the front desk was empty. He was relieved. He didn't even want to talk to her if it pertained to work. She made him very uncomfortable with how clingy she was with him.

"Uh, yeah," He said quietly in case she was anywhere nearby. "Thanks, but no thanks."

"But why not?" Liz asked at her normal speaking volume, which caused Hellboy great distress, causing him to look around as they made their way to the exit. "She's crazy about you."

"I think she's just crazy," He muttered.

Liz shook her head. "I think she really likes you. You should give her a chance. Besides, half the people around here think you guys are dating already anyway."

His hand was almost touching the exit door. "That's only because she won't leave me alone for five sec-"

"Hey, Red," He heard a voice say from behind them.

He slowly turned around to see Faith standing at her desk. She had apparently been in the back offices, probably using one of the copy machines or shredding some documents, which were all carpeted, so he didn't hear her heels as she walked up to the desk.

Hellboy wasn't able to not notice her nipples pressing against her red satin blouse, casting just a hint of shadow. He saw that today was a no-bra day. He forced his eyes to stay on her face.

"Hey, Faith," Hellboy said from the door, not wanting to be rude. He started to open the door, desperate for escape, when she spoke again.

"Where are you off to?"

"Me and Liz are going on a walk," He said, not wanting to disclose their actual destination.

"Oh," Faith said, grabbing a baggy from her desk drawer and walking over to him, heels clacking on the linoleum and bare breasts jiggling with each step from behind her blouse. "Well, I made you these."

He took the bag reluctantly and studied the contents. No-bake cookies.

"Thanks, Faith," He said, handing the bag to Liz.

Just before Hellboy could turn back to the door, Faith leaned forward and wrapped him in a hug, pressing her breasts against him. He could feel her nipples through her blouse. He didn't reciprocate the hug in any way. He just stood there stiffly, waiting for her to let him go.

After what seemed like an eternity, she finally did. "Be careful."

She turned and walked back to her desk, glancing back at him every now and then. Hellboy shivered slightly as him and Liz walked out.

"Goddamn…" Hellboy muttered as they walked along.

"I don't understand why you don't give her a chance," Liz said, putting her free hand in her shorts pocket, leaving the baggy of the no-bake cookies dangle in her other.

"She's super creepy," Hellboy said.

"Do you not realize how lucky you are?" Liz practically laughed. "Faith is probably one of the prettiest women on the planet. She has all of these guys swooning for her and she doesn't even give them the time of day because she wants you so badly."

"Well," Hellboy said back. "That's just too bad for her. She'll just have to settle for one of the other guys. I'm not interested."

"How can you not even be just a _little _interested?" Liz asked.

"Oh, what?" Hellboy asked, putting his left hand flat on his chest. "She's pretty, so that should be enough to pull me in? I should drop down to one knee and propose marriage 'cuz she's attractive?"

"No, no, not just that," Liz said, shaking her head. "Faith's easily the prettiest woman I've ever seen, but she's the full package. She's gorgeous, smart, fun, successful, an amazing cook. You'd have to have something wrong with you to pass a girl like that up."

Hellboy shrugged. "Guess I got something wrong with me, then."

Liz sighed and pulled out a no-bake from the bag. She took a bite and momentarily wondered if Faith would be willing to quit her job and become Liz's live-in chef.

"You're a lost cause," Liz said after she swallowed. "I give up on finding you a girlfriend."

"Good," Hellboy said, swiping a no-bake out of the bag Liz still held. He ate one in a single bite and couldn't help but moan just slightly.

Liz was right; Faith was definitely the full package. She was stunningly gorgeous. Any food she made was five-star. She was very kind and friendly. She was very intelligent and knowledgeable on countless topics. And talk about talent; Faith could create art in dozens of different mediums. She had won several awards in dance, theater, sports and filmmaking. She was fluent in 3 languages and their corresponding sign languages.

But despite all of this, there was something… off. Something Hellboy couldn't quite put his finger on. Maybe it was just him being overly cautious – as he was wont to do, considering his profession as an investigator – but he was rarely wrong about his intuition. There was something about Faith that screamed "red flag" that nobody else seemed to pick up on. It drove Hellboy crazy that he couldn't identify the danger, but he refused to let his walls down completely.

"So…" Hellboy said after a few moments of silence. "I'm finally gonna get to meet Nathan face-to-face?"

"Well," Liz said, tucking some hair that had fallen out of her bun behind her ear. "He might be there. I heard him and Chad talking about coming."

Hellboy had seen Nathan from a distance a few times when he'd been able to personally come pick Liz up or drop her off at school. He was a very good-looking kid, but he seemed like a jackass if Hellboy was being honest. He often harassed girls at the bus stop – either saying vulgar things to them or blatantly groping them as they passed. He'd seen him knock things out of people's hands, push trashcans over and dump whatever he was drinking at the moment down people's back.

He couldn't wrap his head around why someone like Liz would be so caught up with someone like Nathan. Maybe it was the whole "bad boy" thing. Maybe it was just a little teenage crush. Maybe it was just his looks. Liz seemed to think good looks should be enough for Hellboy to fall in love – maybe she had the same standard set for herself. He always just figured Liz would be a better judge of character than this.

"Is he the only reason you wanted to come to this thing?" Hellboy asked, shoving another no-bake cookie greedily into his mouth.

"No," Liz laughed, rolling her eyes. "I want to ride some rides and eat some food."

"With Nathan," Hellboy managed to say through a mouthful of no-bake cookie, managing to sound like a slobby oaf.

"Shut it," Liz said, lightly smacking his arm as they approached the admission booth. "If he's even here at all, it will just be a plus."

Hellboy saw that the guy behind the admission booth was glaring at him as they approached. Hellboy ignored his expression and pulled out his wallet.

"Two, please," Hellboy said, placing a twenty-dollar bill on the booth counter.

The man took the money after a pause and began counting out the change. As was often the case when he left HQ, especially when it wasn't work-related, Hellboy began to feel self-conscious. No matter how often he experienced it all – the uncomfortable gazes, the whispers, sometimes even fear – he just couldn't get used to it. There were times where Hellboy almost forgot his origins and what he was; times where he almost felt like a normal person. Then the truth came rushing back with a sideways glance or an intrusive question.

_You are Anung Un Rama, _the nasty little voice in his head would remind him. _You're meant to bring about the end of the world - how dare you try to fit into it. How dare you go against your destiny._

He pushed away the voice, as he always did, and did his best to keep his expression neutral. Being naturally stony-faced worked in his favor sometimes. While Liz was his go-to for everything, and the only one he had completely filled in on his origins, now wasn't the time or place. They were here to have a nice, normal day. Emotional baggage wasn't something to unload on days like this.

The man counted out the change and, surprisingly, held it out for Hellboy to take. Hellboy was fully expecting him to drop it on the counter, as people often did. Hellboy reached out his left hand and the man placed the bills, change and tickets in his crimson palm, the coins jingling against one another.

"You two enjoy," The man said, sounding friendly enough.

Hellboy and Liz turned around, Liz leading the way. Hellboy stuffed his wallet, change and tickets into his pocket as they walked along, looking at the attractions.

"What do you want for food?" Liz asked over her shoulder.

"Literally anything," Hellboy said, placing his right hand over his belly. "I'm about to die of starvation."

"Oh, you poor baby," Liz muttered. "You act like you weren't neck deep in a stack of pancakes just three hours ago."

"Yeah, that was _three_ hours ago," Hellboy said defensively. "That's almost two hundred minutes."

Liz rolled her eyes and looked around at their options. There were plenty of dessert stands, offering things like funnel cakes, elephant ears and deep-fried Oreos, but they were after actual food. She was almost overwhelmed with the variety.

"Well, you decide," Liz said. "I'm not super hungry."

"Have you eaten today?" Hellboy asked, suddenly switching his tone from whiny to authoritative.

Liz sighed. "No."

"What have I told you about not eating?" Hellboy asked, looking around at the food stands.

"God," Liz said, rolling her eyes. "You're worse than my parents were."

Hellboy grabbed her by the hand and began leading her over to a burger stand. "We're gonna get you a big-ass cheeseburger. And some fries."

Liz walked with him without protest, knowing full well that she had no choice. Hellboy always made sure she was taking care of herself physically and mentally, and he only backed down for good reason, like if she was sick or upset about something. He was the best support system in that way, and he had a billion different ways of saying "I care about you" without actually saying the words. It usually came in the form of "have you eaten today?" or "is something wrong?"

When she had gone too long without eating, Hellboy would more or less force her to eat a certain amount before she was excused to do anything else. He never made her eat much – usually just a few bites of this and a few sips of that. When she was going through a depressive episode and not exactly doing the best in the hygeine department, he would sometimes take her into the bathroom and wash her hair for her while she leaned over the edge of his or her bathtub.

The lady at the burger stand seemed a little leery as Hellboy approached, but showed almost no reaction otherwise. She placed the tip of her pen on the order pad sitting on the counter.

"Hey," Hellboy greeted, still lightly holding onto Liz's hand. "I'm gonna need two burgers – one with everything and one with only ketchup and pickle – and two orders of fries." He looked up at the menu board. "Aaand… one water and a Coke."

It always made Liz happy that Hellboy memorized little insignificant details about her, from how she liked her food to how she liked her clothes folded. It made her feel more wanted and loved than Hellboy could ever know.

"Comin' up, honey," The lady said as she ripped off the top piece of paper and went to put the order in.

Hellboy let go of Liz's hand and they both turned around to observe their surroundings while they waited on their food.

"Wanna go on the tilt-a-whirl after we eat?" Liz asked with a smile. "I bet that burger will come right back up."

"Yeah," Hellboy chuckled. "Somethin' tells me they got a weight limit on these things that I far surpass."

"Wait," Liz asked with a tiny laugh. "How much do you weigh?"

"Aw, jeez," Hellboy said, rubbing the back of his neck with his stone hand. "Last time I weighed myself… I think I was pushing four hundred?"

"Jesus!" Liz said, honestly a little shocked. "I knew you weighed quite a bit, but damn… fatty."

"Yeah, well… it's mostly muscle, and this-" He said, raising his stone hand. "-doesn't help. Thing probably weighs fifty pounds or more."

"I think it's just because you're a fatty," Liz said, playfully poking at his muscular tummy.

"Here you go, guys," The burger stand lady said, sitting their food and drinks on the counter top. "That'll be nine dollars and fifty-three cents."

Hellboy dug out his wallet and placed a ten dollar bill in the lady's hand. He grabbed Liz's food and drink and handed it to her, then grabbed his own. The lady started opening her drawer to get his change.

"Don't worry about the change," Hellboy said, turning away and following Liz over to a nearby picnic table.

They sat down on opposite sides of the table and arranged their food.

"So…" Liz sighed, looking at her food. "How much are you gonna make me eat before we can go do something else?"

"Hmm…" Hellboy said, resting his head in the palm of his left hand and looking down at her food. "Since it's a pretty big burger, at least two good bites. And at least a quarter of the fries."

Liz nodded and begrudgingly got to work. It wasn't that she wasn't hungry; she just didn't really feel compelled to eat. Maybe her depression was coming back. Maybe it would only be a matter of time before Hellboy had to corral her into the bathroom and help her brush her teeth or soothingly rub her back while she heaved sobs into her pillow as he had done several times in the past. The thought brought her both dread and comfort. Dread because she was tired of all of the high highs and low lows that she'd had to endure since the… accident. And comfort because she knew Hellboy would be there to help pull her out of it.

Liz forced herself to eat a little more than what Hellboy asked of her. After he was done eating, she had downed a little over half of her burger and almost all of her fries. Her can of Coke was nearly gone.

"Nice job, sis," Hellboy said approvingly.

"You can have the rest," Liz said, putting a hand on her belly. "I think I might have overdone it."

Being the complete garbage disposal that he was, Hellboy reached over and grabbed what was left of the burger, shoving it all in his mouth. After he swallowed, the fries were next to fall. He finished the food off in under 30 seconds.

"My god," Liz said in mock awe. "You're like a dog. You don't even think about what you're eating or how you're gonna eat it. You just eat it."

Hellboy shrugged and stood up from the bench. "So, I guess I'm your date until Nathan comes along. Guess that means I gotta win you a stuffed-something-or-other at some horribly rigged and overpriced game, right?"

"Mm, yeah, sounds about right," Liz shrugged, still sitting at the picnic table.

Hellboy reached out with his left hand and she took it, getting up from the table. They let go of each others hand and walked side-by-side to the game stands, looking at the prizes more than the games.

"Oooh," Liz said, patting Hellboy on the arm and pointing at a nearby game stand. "I like that stuffed bunny. The grey one."

"Okay," Hellboy said, starting to walk in that direction with her following by his side. "It might take me a few tries. I have crappy aim."

He walked up to the stand. It was one of those balloon-popping games. Pop 3 balloons, win a prize. It was 4 dollars for 6 darts.

_Ridiculous, _Hellboy thought as he reached into his pocket to retrieve his wallet.

He wasn't going to complain, though. He made plenty of money, and he just wanted to make Liz happy whenever he could. He handed the carny 4 dollars and the carny held out 6 darts for him, which Hellboy took.

"Pop three balloons, win a prize," The carny jabbered. "Make sure ya stay behind the white line."

Hellboy took a step back, behind the white line, and tried to line up his shot as best he could. He flung a dart and it sunk into the corkboard between the balloons. He grunted in aggravation. He wasn't exaggerating when he said he had lousy aim. Raising another dart up, he let it go. The dart connected with a yellow balloon with a satisfying "POP," which caused Liz to let out a little squeal of excitement.

He had 4 darts left, and only had 2 more shots he needed to make. For almost anyone else, it was a simple task, but it seemed almost impossible to him. He honestly doubted if he could have done it even with 10 darts at his disposal, but it didn't stop him from trying his best.

Taking a deep breath, he threw another dart and it miraculously connected with a blue balloon. 3 darts left, 1 more shot to make. He winged another dart and was shocked as it hit a pink balloon. Liz jumped up and down, wrapping her arms around his right arm. Hellboy set the remaining 2 darts down on the counter.

"Three balloons popped," The carny jabbered. "Three balloons popped, one prize. What prize ya after, my man?"

Hellboy pointed with his left hand. "Grey bunny."

"Grey bunny," The carny jabbered, turning to retrieve the prize off its hook. "Man wants a grey bunny for his lady." He turned and set the little stuffed bunny on the counter, grabbing the darts and putting them under the counter.

Hellboy handed Liz the bunny and she snuggled it, beaming from ear to ear.

"I didn't think I could do it," Hellboy said as they walked away from the game stand.

"Yeah, neither did I," Liz said sarcastically, hugging her bunny close to her chest. "I'm gonna name him Sebastian."

They walked along until they got to the petting zoo. Liz instantly went to her favorite: the goats. A few of them bleated a greeting to her and one of them stood up straight, using the fence railing as support.

"Aww," Liz said, handing Sebastian to Hellboy. "Someone wants to be scratched."

Hellboy took the bunny as he observed Liz petting the goat. She was such a simple, yet complicated person. She was a girl that was easily pleased, but she had so many layers to her. Hellboy felt confident that he had her figured out, but it wasn't the easiest thing on the planet. He had to learn how to read between the lines and be on constant lookout for all sorts of signals. He felt like they still had some milestones and breakthroughs that needed to be reached, but aside from that, he knew her inside and out.

On the reverse, Liz knew more about Hellboy than anyone else on the planet, yet he was still fairly reserved with her. He told her things that he'd never tell anyone else and did his best to never keep her in the dark about anything, but he sometimes felt like he wasn't as open with her as he should be. He wondered if she read between his lines, like he did with hers. He wondered how much she had gleaned about him from their years of friendship that she didn't allow to be known; exactly how observant she was.

Liz stepped away from the goat, causing him to bleat in protest, angry that he wasn't getting any more scratches. Liz and Hellboy walked out of the petting zoo side-by-side.

"Do you think Trevor will let me get a goat?" Liz asked, grabbing Sebastian from his hand.

Hellboy grunted. "He might let you get a goldfish."

Liz laughed as they walked along, playing with Sebastian's long, floppy ears. She looked around at all the people. "I haven't seen any sign of Nathan. Guess he's not coming after all."

"What a shame," Hellboy mumbled sarcastically, putting his left hand in his cargo short's pocket. He pulled out his pack of Chesterfields. He pulled a cigarette out of the pack, placed it between his lips and slid the pack back into his pocket. He fished around for his Zippo.

"Ugh," Liz said. "You really need to drop that habit, Red."

He rolled his yellow eyes and pulled his lighter out, clicking the wheel until a little flame erupted. He held the flame up to the end of the cigarette until it caught. He snapped the Zippo shut and dropped it back into his pocket. He sucked in a lungful of smoke and blew it in the opposite direction of Liz.

"Oh, hey," Liz said, attention pulled elsewhere suddenly. "What's that little tent over there? 'Madame Claudia?'"

"Hm," Hellboy said, taking a drag from his cigarette. "Looks like a psychic of some sort."

"I've always wanted to see a psychic," Liz hinted, putting a hand on his arm.

"They're almost all fakes," Hellboy responded. "I could take you to a real one sometime. The best ones are in Africa."

Liz stood in front of Madame Claudia's tent as Hellboy continued walking, making it obvious she wasn't going to take no for an answer. Hellboy turned back around with the cigarette hanging from his mouth.

"I'm tellin' ya, kid," Hellboy said, taking the cigarette out of his mouth and scraping the cherry off on the back of his stone hand. "This psychic is more than likely a fake."

"I just wanna try it," Liz said, hugging Sebastian to her chest. "It's only two dollars."

Hellboy sighed and tossed his cigarette butt into a nearby trashcan.

"All right," Hellboy said, mildly annoyed. He walked back over to join Liz in front of the tent.

Hellboy pulled back the tent flap and they walked inside. It was pretty dark inside, except for the glowing crystal ball sitting in the middle of a small, round table. At the table, a woman was seated. She appeared to be in her mid-fifties. She had a golden hair chain with a small, red gem resting on her forehead. Every finger had multiple rings and her chest was covered in necklaces. She wore a black hooded robe. Her eyes appeared almost grey in the glow of her crystal ball, and her black hair was so long that it spilled into her lap and past the chair she was sitting in.

She was poised in a stiff position, eyes staring off into space and hands held up as if she were holding an invisible ball between them. Hellboy stood there, observing her, but she seemed to be frozen.

"Madame Claudia?" He gently called.

Startled out of her daze, Madame Claudia suddenly slammed her palms flat on the table, her crystal ball's light dimming ever so slightly for a split second, then coming back a little brighter than before.

"I'm sorry, darlings," Madame Claudia quietly said with the slightest hint of an Italian accent. "What can Madame Claudia do for you?" She began shuffling a stack of tarot cards that were sitting off to the side of the table.

"What types of things do psychics offer?" Liz asked, taking a step closer to Madame Claudia. "I've, uh… never been to a psychic before."

"I'm a one-stop shop, dear," Madame Claudia said with confidence. "I do palm readings, tea leaf readings, tarot readings. I can contact lost loved ones. I can tell the future. I can give you blessings and curse your enemies."

"Um," Liz said, taking another step forward and resting her hand on the table. "What was that about contacting… lost loved ones?"

"Liz…" Hellboy muttered from the tent entrance.

"You have someone that you need to talk to?" Madame Claudia asked, sitting her tarot deck back where it was.

"Well," Liz said, tucking some hair behind her ear. "Three people, actually."

"Liz, come on," Hellboy urged. "You shouldn't-"

"Red, please," Liz said shortly. "This is important to me."

Hellboy quietly sighed, folding his arms over his chest in defeat and aggravation. He didn't think much good could come out of this, but he decided to keep his mouth shut. He grabbed 2 dollars out of his wallet and walked over to the table, handing it to Madame Claudia. When their hands made contact, she grabbed his hand gently, rings rustling against one another.

"Will you join us?" Madame Claudia inquired, maintaining direct eye contact with her piercing grey eyes.

After a pause, Hellboy sat down, their hands never breaking contact. Hellboy didn't feel the bills he had just placed in her hand, despite the fact that she never took her hand away or made any sort of move to pocket the money.

_Huh, _Hellboy thought. _Probably just slipped it into her sleeve or something._

Madame Claudia held out her hand to Liz, who took it and sat down hastily, sitting Sebastian down on her lap. His little bunny face poked up over the edge of the table as if he were a curious child wanting to see what the grownups were up to.

"Hold your friend's hand, dear," Madame Claudia said, gently closing her eyes. "We must complete the circle."

Hellboy rolled his eyes, but played along, holding out his stone hand for Liz to take. She took it and observed Madame Claudia with laser-like focus.

Madame Claudia took a deep breath and exhaled. "Who are we contacting?"

"My parents, and little brother," Liz practically whispered.

Madame Claudia was quiet for a few moments. Her head craned back ever so slightly, eyes still closed and breathing coming in slow and shallow.

"You were…" Madame Claudia said, as if she were struggling to stay awake. "You were so young when they passed."

Hellboy had to stop himself from groaning.

_Obviously she was young, lady, _Hellboy thought angrily. _She's young now. Nice try, though._

"They went very, very violently," Madame Claudia went on. "But it was all over so quickly. There was… a flash. A flash like fire. Such intense heat."

Liz looked over at Hellboy, visibly uncomfortable. Hellboy's own discomfort was starting to grow.

"My god," Madame Claudia said in shock. "They were turned to ash. Everything was turned to ash. So many lives lost…"

Hellboy could see that Liz's eyes were starting to well up with tears and he was about to pull her away from the table and force her out of the tent, but he felt like he couldn't move. Whether it was his own morbid curiosity holding him hostage or something that Madame Claudia was doing was unknown.

"I'm sorry," Madame Claudia whispered. "I can't contact them. I can't find them. They're not on this astral plane. They're… somewhere else."

Liz's tears broke loose and stained her cheeks. Her chest began heaving in silent sobs.

"There will be more fire," Madame Claudia droned on, her eyes suddenly coming open. "For both of you."

Hellboy let go of Madame Claudia's hand and stood up, keeping hold of Liz's. He carefully pulled her out of the chair, grabbing Sebastian when he spilled out of Liz's lap onto the ground and began walking to the exit. They walked back out into the harsh sunlight and Liz almost collapsed. Hellboy held her up, pulling her into a hug.

"Liz, I-" Hellboy quietly said.

"Don't touch me!" She quietly, but sternly said, pushing him away. "Just leave me the fuck alone."

Hellboy was shocked, but understanding. He let go of her and took a step back. Just as he was getting ready to speak again, she turned the other way and took only a couple steps before she literally ran into Nathan so hard that she almost fell to the ground.

"Well, hey, Liz," Nathan said.

Liz let out groan that sounded almost like a growl. She pulled her hand back into a fist and punched Nathan in the chest so hard that it knocked the wind out of him. He came close to losing his balance, but managed to keep it by leaning against a trashcan. Liz ran passed him without a word.

"What the fuck," Nathan barely managed to wheeze out. "Fucking cunt."

Hellboy watched the direction Liz was taking off in. It looked like she was heading back to Bureau HQ. He followed her, careful to stay out of her line of sight. He wanted to make sure she was safe, but also give her the space she needed. He didn't need her doing anything stupid or getting hurt, on his watch especially.

He followed her the whole way back to the Bureau, with Sebastian in tow, and managed to remain undetected. He walked down to the apartments and heard a door slam, undoubtedly hers. Hellboy stealthily walked up to her door and held a pointed, red ear up to it. He could hear her sobbing into her pillow.

As much as it pained him, he needed to let her have some space. Normally, he'd try to talk to her or hug her until her problems didn't seem all that bad, but his normal tactics wouldn't work on something of this magnitude. Liz needed to be the one that came to him when she was ready.

Hellboy looked down at the bunny in his hand.

"You should wait here," Hellboy whispered to him, knowing there was no way Liz could hear him over her sobs. "You'll do more good here than me."

He sat Sebastian a few feet in front of her door, making his little bunny head flop upward so that he could greet Liz whenever she finally opened her door.


	7. 17

**May 1979**

"You about done?" Hellboy called through the bathroom door, fiddling with his Polaroid camera.

"Jeez," Liz called back. "Just gimme a minute."

"You've been in there for nearly an hour," Hellboy grumbled, leaning against the wall next to the door.

"Yeah, well," Liz said, unleashing what sounded like half a can of hairspray into her hair. "My hair's being a complete cocksucker."

Hellboy almost scolded her for cursing, but held back. Liz was 17 years old now – practically a woman. He had to let her go at some point, as much as he didn't like it. He had made peace with the fact that she wouldn't be his baby sister forever. Hell, he was minutes away from seeing her off to her prom. It was definitely time to release her.

"Do you need help?" Hellboy offered. "I mean, I don't really know jack about hair, but…"

"No," Liz replied. "I just… about… got it…"

He heard her stuffing a few things back into her purse and rearrange some things on his bathroom counter. After a few moments, she opened the door.

"So… how do I look?" Liz asked, smoothing out her dress.

Hellboy was speechless for a moment. He always thought Liz was a beautiful young lady, but the way she looked now, he suddenly saw her as a gorgeous young woman. Her dress was a deep crimson – lacey half-sleeves, off-the-shoulder with a sweetheart neckline. The waistline hugged her figure like it was made just for her. The skirt of the dress flared out slightly and stopped just above her knees. Her auburn hair was tied up in an elegant updo with her bangs framing her face in gentle waves. Her nails were painted dark black. On her eyelids, dark eyeshadow and deep red lipstick on her wide lips.

Hellboy smiled. "You look great."

Liz blushed and looked at the floor, a smile spreading across her face.

"Um…" She said, looking over at his bed. "Could you help me get my necklace and shoes on? I don't want to risk chipping my nail polish."

"Yeah," Hellboy said, setting the camera on his dresser and walking over to the bed.

Liz walked over to Hellboy's bed and sat. He got down on his knees and grabbed her black platform heels that she had laid by his nightstand earlier. Liz held her feet out and he, very carefully, grabbed them one by one and slipped her heels on, being especially careful when he buckled the straps. They were so dainty that he could have snapped them if he wasn't careful – plus, he wasn't sure how tight they needed to be.

Hellboy stood and grabbed her necklace off the nightstand. It was a necklace that he had bought for Liz as a "just because" present while he was away on assignment some years back. It was a little ruby heart on a gold chain – high quality, but nothing special. He thought that she would like it, but she turned out to love it – claiming that if she ever ended up getting married, she would wear it on her wedding day.

Hellboy held the necklace out and she exposed her neck. He draped it over her shoulders and sat down next to her on the bed so he could see the tiny clasp better. It proved to be a bit of a challenge to hook it since he had his big, clunky stone hand working against him, but he got it after the 3rd try.

Hellboy stayed sitting next to her and they both sat there in silence for a few moments.

"What time's Nathan coming to get you?" Hellboy asked, laying back on his bed.

"He should be here in about twenty minutes," Liz said.

"Good," Hellboy said, standing up and grabbing the Polaroid camera off of his dresser. "Gives us plenty of time for pictures."

"Aw, come on, Red," Liz begged. "I don't like having my picture taken. You know that."

"You'll thank me later," Hellboy said. "Prom's something you'll want to look back on."

Liz glared up at him, still sitting on the bed.

"Come on," Hellboy pleaded, holding out his left hand to her. "Just a few pictures."

"Fine," Liz sighed. "But I'm not smiling in them."

She took his hand and stood, smoothing out her dress. Hellboy aimed the camera at her and, true to her word, she didn't smile, but she didn't frown, either. She looked at the camera, face and posture totally neutral. Hellboy pushed the button and Liz was momentarily blinded by the flash.

"Okay, we need to find Abe," Hellboy said, grabbing the photo as the camera spit it out and stuffed it down the front of his shirt to develop.

"Uh… why?" Liz asked wearily, blinking away the dots of light dancing in her vision.

"I want a good picture with you," Hellboy explained, opening the door to his apartment.

Liz wanted to argue, but she didn't, following behind him in her horribly uncomfortable heels. She felt self-conscious the whole walk to Abe's living quarters, feeling all the agents staring at her. She suddenly felt almost silly and momentarily entertained the idea of not going to the prom at all.

_No, _she told herself. _Nathan _finally _asked you out. You can't back out now._

They arrived at Abe's apartment and Hellboy knocked. Moments later, Abe opened the door, his television quietly droning on from somewhere inside.

"Hey, pal," Hellboy greeted, holding the camera out to Abe. "Mind takin' a picture of us?"

"Certainly," Abe nodded, taking the camera in his webbed hands.

Despite never having handled a camera, Abe instantly understood how to operate it the moment he made contact with it.

Hellboy pulled Liz close to him. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that she still wasn't smiling. Just before Abe pushed the button, Hellboy took his left hand and tickled her on the small of her back, causing her to squeal and break into a big smile just before the flash went off.

"You fucking _prick_!" Liz laughed, smacking him on the shoulder.

"Thanks, Abe," Hellboy said, reaching out for the camera and shielding himself from Liz with his stone right hand. He took the photo and slid it into the front of his shirt. He took out the first picture he had taken and examined it. "Not smiling, but still adorable."

"Shut the fuck up," Liz said, smiling and smacking him on the arm.

"Hey, Abe," Hellboy said, ignoring Liz. "King Kong's gonna be on later. Thought maybe you'd wanna come over and watch it."

"Um, actually," Abe started. "I was about to turn in for the night."

Hellboy nodded. "Okay, that's cool. Just thought I'd ask. If you change your mind, you know where to find me."

Abe nodded and closed his door as they turned to leave.

Abe had only been around for about half a year. He had been discovered in a water-filled tube in an abandoned hospital basement in D.C. He had apparently been there for more than 100 years, with no memory of how he got there. Of course, when the BPRD got their hands on him, they were quick to start their horrible testing. Hellboy had to shut their operation down before the poor guy got dissected.

Liz was at school when Hellboy had ripped Abe out of his test tube, but when she had heard about his heroic deed, she couldn't help but feel an even closer connection to her adopted brother. He had saved Abe just as he had saved her. Abe and Liz both had chances at semi-normal lives, and if not for Hellboy, it was hard telling where either of them would have been.

Hellboy led Liz to the exit door and stood there silently, holding his Polaroid camera in his right hand. He seemed uncomfortable; almost uncertain. He definitely wanted to say something, but the words weren't coming easily.

"Are you okay?" Liz asked.

"Yeah, it's just…" Hellboy started, voice trailing off.

"Just what?" She pressed.

"Well…" Hellboy said, fiddling absentmindedly with his camera. "I dunno. This feels weird. I'm happy for you, and I think this will be really good for you, but… you're just growing up so fast. In another year, you're probably going to leave. It's not that I don't want you to live your own life –"

"Actually," Liz interrupted, crossing her arms over her chest. "I've been thinking. About the future and stuff. I was considering joining the Bureau when I turn eighteen."

Hellboy nodded. "That's a good idea. But it's a pretty high-risk job."

"Oh, you don't think I can handle it?" Liz laughed.

"I'm sure you'd kick ass at it," Hellboy shrugged. "I just don't want you getting hurt. I've had some close calls myself, and I'm basically indestructible."

"I'll be fine, Red," Liz practically whispered. She leaned in close, wrapping her arms around his waist in a hug. She pressed the side of her head against his chest, hearing his heartbeat thumping against his chest. "You worry too much."

_Only about you, _Hellboy thought as he returned the hug with his left arm, letting his right arm hang at his side with the camera cradled in his massive stone hand. He cupped her shoulder with his warm flesh hand, rubbing gently with his thumb.

Liz pulled away and looked out the window, squinting. "I think he's here. That looks like his car."

"Okay," Hellboy said. "Call me if you need anything."

Liz nodded, opened the door and walked out, heels echoing loudly on the concrete as she walked. Hellboy watched her as she approached the car. Nathan, wearing a black tuxedo, got out and opened the passenger side door for her. He waited for her to be completely seated to close the door, then proceeded to walk back around to the driver side.

_Good man, _Hellboy thought.

Hellboy watched them drive off until he could no longer see the taillights and turned to walk back to his apartment. He had a date with a gigantic ape, his beanbag chair and a bag of popcorn.

**Later that night…**

"_No, it wasn't the airplanes," _Carl Denham solemnly stated from the television. _"It was beauty killed the beast."_

As the movie ended, Hellboy laid back in his enormous beanbag chair, staring at the ceiling.

"Pretty sure it was the airplanes, Carl," Hellboy mumbled to himself. He blindly grabbed a piece of popcorn from the bottom of the bag and threw it in the air, attempting to catch it in his open mouth. It hit his right horn stump and landed on the floor above his head.

He didn't move for nearly 5 minutes, completely lost in his thoughts. He would be lying if he said he wasn't a little worried about Liz. Although she had gone all these years without an incident, Hellboy was always anticipating it. But the bad part about her not having any incidents was that he wasn't entirely sure what her triggers were. Hellboy didn't really know what to look out for, but he couldn't help but see the prom as a potential catalyst.

_She'll be fine_, he told himself. _She's at the prom with a boy she really likes… even though he seems like a creep. _

Hellboy often wanted to talk to Liz about how Nathan rubbed him the wrong way, but he knew it would just make Liz mad and resentful. At the age she was at, she probably would have seen Nathan as some forbidden, exciting thing and went for him twice as hard. It was almost better to not say anything and just let nature take its course.

Still lying back on his beanbag chair, staring at the ceiling, Hellboy couldn't help but feel a little lame. He wasn't really sure what to do with himself. If he wasn't working, he was usually just hanging around the Bureau with Liz. Since she wasn't there, it felt… odd.

Just as he was trying to remember what he did before Liz came along, his phone rang. He rolled off of the beanbag chair and walked over to it, taking it off its hook and holding it up to his pointed ear.

"Hello?" He said.

At first, all he heard was a kind of scraping sound on the other end – like the phone was being jostled around. Then there was a faint sniffling sound.

"Hello?" Hellboy asked again.

"Could you-" The voice asked, high-pitched and strained. "Could you come get me?"

"Liz?" Hellboy asked, suddenly on high alert. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Just come get me, please…" Liz choked out.

"Are you still at the school?" Hellboy asked.

Liz burst out into a fit of sobs, but managed to say what sounded like a "yeah."

"Okay," Hellboy said quietly. "I'm on my way, sis. Don't go anywhere."

Liz didn't respond and hung up.

Hellboy ran out of his apartment and down the hallway, not even completely sure if he shut his apartment door in his mad dash. The few agents that were still roaming the halls had to practically jump out of his way; Hellboy made it obvious he wasn't stopping for anyone. He made it to the parking garage and grabbed a pair of keys, not even bothering to sign the vehicle out.

He drove out of the parking garage, fishing his ID out of his pocket. He held it out for the guards, but never actually stopped for them at any of the checkpoints. Seeing his red hand holding the ID out of the window should have been good enough for them to identify who he was, and, if not, that was just too bad. He wasn't going to stop for the guards, either.

Once off of the base, Hellboy did his best to obey the speed limit, not wanting to endanger anyone, but he knew he was speeding slightly. He kept scanning the sidewalks along the way, making sure she didn't decide to leave the school on her own.

Hellboy pulled into the school parking lot and saw Liz sitting on the curb by a payphone, under a bright streetlight. Her face was mostly obscured by shadow, but it was definitely her. He pulled up in a parking spot near her and she stood up, getting into the passenger seat.

He glanced over at her for a moment. She didn't appear to be physically hurt, but she was definitely upset about something. She slouched in her seat, elbows on her thighs and arms crossed over her chest. She was silent and still except for the occasional sniffle and shudder that escaped.

"Liz," Hellboy gently said, twisting toward her and reaching his left hand out to her.

"Just drive," She grumbled.

Hellboy paused, observing her for a few seconds more, but ultimately put the van back into drive and headed back to the Bureau. They drove in complete silence, Hellboy growing more worried by the second when he thought of all of the things that could have possibly happened in the hour and a half span of time that Liz was gone. He wanted to ask, but with the vibe he was getting from her, it definitely wasn't the time. It would have to wait at least until they got back to the Bureau.

They pulled into the parking garage and Hellboy turned the car off, sliding the key out of the ignition. Liz threw the passenger side door open and was getting ready to storm off to her room when Hellboy reached over to her and grabbed her arm with his flesh hand.

"Liz," He said firmly. "Did someone hurt you?"

She struggled to break free from his grip, but after a few moments of trying to wrench away, she understood that he wasn't letting her leave until she answered.

"No," She mumbled, still facing away from him.

He let go of her arm, but to Hellboy's surprise, Liz didn't move from the spot. She hung her head, looking down at the floor of the parking garage, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Are you gonna tell me what happened?" He gently prodded.

Liz sighed and was quiet for a moment, but finally spoke. "It was all a bet."

"Huh?" Hellboy asked, still sitting in the driver seat, not understanding what she meant.

"Nathan asked me out on a bet," Liz explained, voice strained. "He got fifty bucks out of it."

Hellboy wasn't sure what to say. He was angry, but it somehow didn't surprise him for a few reasons. Nathan was a creep, and popular. Put those components together and you got yourself a sociopath. Also, Liz was a bit of an outcast at school, and in her personal life. She didn't have many friends, which made her an easy target for just about anyone pretending to have good intentions. She was the awkward kid who usually sat alone, reading. People like Nathan would look at people like Liz and see an easy target – a means to an end.

Liz looked so fragile standing there with her arms wrapped around her, the pale moonlight shining in through the parking garage entrance and radiating off her pale, smooth skin. He felt like even the slightest sound would shatter her into a million pieces.

Hellboy stuffed the key into his pocket and got out of the van, shutting the door behind him. He walked around the van and came up behind Liz, not daring to touch her without an invitation, keeping his hands down at his sides. Her body began jerking with silent sobs as she hugged herself tighter, her legs giving out. She fell to her knees, bent over, face almost touching the concrete floor. The sound of her sobs broke loose at last in a high-pitched groan, her body heaving.

Hellboy walked around to the front of her and got on his knees, still not sure if he should touch her.

"Liz, you-" Hellboy began to say, but stopped when she suddenly lunged at him, pressing her face into his chest and causing his shirt to almost instantly become wet. She heaved her sobs into his chest, and Hellboy wrapped his arms around her, rocking her back and forth slightly. He stroked her on the back soothingly. Her sobs died down after a few minutes. "I got you," He cooed. "It's gonna be okay."

Hellboy looked around. Almost everyone, except for the agents who lived on-base, would have gone home by now. He wanted to sneak her in unnoticed so that nobody would ask any damn questions and, most likely, make it worse.

Hellboy tucked the hem of her dress behind her knees with his left hand and picked her up, supporting her back with the palm of his stone hand. She buried her face in the curve where his neck met his shoulder, trying to even her breathing out. Hellboy managed to make it back to his room with Liz with only Faith seeing them at the receptionists desk. He saw her, but didn't make eye contact or even acknowledge that he saw her.

Hellboy sat Liz on his beanbag chair and saw her face clearly for the first time. She didn't look any different than when she had left, except now her eyes were red and her eyeshadow had smudged all around her eyes. Hellboy walked over to his nightstand and retrieved a box of tissues for her, sitting it at her feet.

"Thank you," She said quietly, pulling a tissue out and drying her eyes. She sniffled and bit her lip, taking a deep breath through the parting of her mouth. She released her lip and exhaled a sharp sigh. "I thought he actually liked me. I'm so stupid."

"Hey," Hellboy said, sitting next to her on the floor, holding himself up with his palms flat on the floor behind him. "You're awesome. He's the stupid one."

"Last I checked," She muttered. "Awesome people didn't get asked out on a bet."

"He's a creep, Liz," Hellboy said, leaning forward and sitting Indian style. "I don't know why you'd waste your time on a guy like him. I wanted to tell you that you should stay away from him, but I knew you would probably take that as a challenge."

Liz's amber eyes went back and forth in contemplation. "Yeah… you're probably right."

She still seemed shaken up, but appeared to be done crying. She squeezed the tissue in her hand until it was a damp little ball with black and grey eyeshadow smudges.

"What do you want on your pizza?" Hellboy asked, getting up off the floor and walking to the phone.

"Pizza?" Liz asked, resting the side of her face on her knees and looking up at him.

Hellboy picked up the phone, his left hand's index finger extended, ready to dial. He looked at her expectantly.

"You think pizza is gonna make this better?" Liz asked.

"Yes," Hellboy said.

The corners of Liz's mouth turned upwards in a faint smile. "Extra cheese, extra sauce and bacon."

Hellboy nodded and began dialing. There weren't too many phone numbers he had memorized by heart, but more than half of them were food places that delivered.

"Hey, Marcus," Hellboy greeted. "Yeah, it's me… pretty good, how have you been…? Yeah, I'm gonna need a large, extra cheese and sauce with bacon. Yep, same address. I'll tell them you're coming. Thanks, see ya." He hung up and dialed the extension to the front desk.

"Front desk speaking," Faith answered.

"Hey, it's Hellboy," He said quickly. "I'm expecting a pizza here in about twenty minutes, so tell security to just let him in."

"Oh, hey," Faith said, tone changing from formal to friendly. "I saw you come in with Liz. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," Hellboy grumbled back. "Everything's fine. Could you just tell the –"

"Are you sure?" Faith interrupted. "It looked like she was crying."

"I got it under control, Faith," Hellboy said, growing frustrated.

"I could come over –" Faith started up again.

"Nope," Hellboy said through a tightening jaw. "Not necessary. Just tell security. Bye." He practically slammed the phone down.

He briskly walked over to his front door and locked it, in case Faith decided to come over anyway.

"She never stops, does she?" Liz asked, laying back in his beanbag chair.

Hellboy turned away from locking the door and looked at her. "Oh, what happened to 'she's pretty, you should ask her out?'"

Liz shrugged. "I was wrong to pressure you like that. You shouldn't get someone's hopes up when you don't even like them."

Hellboy walked over to sit on his couch nearby, the springs straining under his weight. Liz got up off the beanbag and came over to kneel at his hooves. She grabbed one of them and began digging her thumbs into the bottom, as if she were massaging them.

"What are you doing?" Hellboy asked, laughing slightly.

"Practicing being your obedient little wife," Liz explained.

"Why?" Hellboy asked.

"It's pretty much official that we'll end up marrying each other," Liz said, still rubbing his hoof.

"Well, wouldn't it make more sense for me to rub your feet?" Hellboy asked. "I don't have much feeling in these."

"Obedient little wives don't get pampered," Liz said, dropping his hoof and fake-pouting.

"I never said I wanted an obedient wife," Hellboy said as he stood up and patted the cushion where he had been sitting.

Liz sat down and Hellboy kneeled down in front of her. He carefully took off her heels, a reverse of what he did just two hours ago. He began rubbing, having to do most of the work with his left hand since his right was much too rough. After a while, Liz leaned back against the couch's backrest and closed her eyes. Hellboy almost thought she had fallen asleep until she spoke, eyes still closed.

"Have you done this before?" Liz asked, sounding as if she were in a trance.

"No," Hellboy said, working on the sole of her foot.

"Could'a fooled me," She said, the toes of her other foot curling into his carpet. "You'll make a good husband one day."

"To you?" Hellboy asked, making his way up to her toes.

"Well, yeah," Liz said. "If I would have known you were this good at rubbing feet, I would have proposed to you myself. I'm not letting you get away now. Faith better back off."

Hellboy chuckled and started on her other foot. "You'd better change out of your dress before the pizza gets here. Last thing you need is to get grease and sauce on it."

"True," Liz said, but made no move to get up, allowing him to continue massaging her foot. "But I'm not getting up until you stop."

Hellboy rubbed for a few minutes more and stood up. He walked over to his dresser and grabbed a shirt and a pair of boxers, sitting them on his bathroom counter. Liz got up and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. When she came back out, her auburn hair was out of the updo and hanging freely down to her waist. She had wiped her makeup off as well. Hellboy could see that she had folded her dress and neatly sat it on his counter.

"Lobster Johnson?" Liz asked, gesturing to the 3-XL shirt that draped over her tiny frame. "Really?"

"Yeah, really," Hellboy said. "Got a problem with The Lobster?"

"Nah, it's just you're, like, forty years old," Liz said, shrugging. "I just figured you would have outgrown it by now."

"_Thirty-four_," Hellboy corrected, walking into the bathroom to wash his hands. "And you don't just outgrow The Lobster."

"I guess not," Liz said, laughing. "I've never understood the appeal of those comics. Pretty sure they're just for boys."

"You'll come around someday," Hellboy mumbled ominously as he dried his hands on his bath towel.

He was about to walk out of the bathroom when her dress caught his eye. He almost missed it, but it was unmistakable once he zeroed in on it. A tiny little mark, right at the waistline. It was definitely a singe mark, a little bigger than the head of a pin.

Just then, a knock came on his back door, out in the garage. He walked out into the garage and looked through the doors' peephole, seeing a short Hispanic man. It was definitely Marcus. Hellboy opened the door and greeted him with a smile.

"Hey, pal," Hellboy said warmly. "Long time, no see."

"It's been – what?" Marcus asked with a laugh. "Not even quite a week?"

"Yeah," Hellboy said with a nod, digging his wallet out of his pocket, feeling the van key that he forgot to hang back up. "I've been slacking."

They both laughed and Hellboy fished out a twenty-dollar bill for the pizza and a ten-dollar bill for Marcus.

"Mucho gracias," Marcus said, handing him the pizza and pocketing the money. "Enjoy."

Hellboy waved and closed the door behind him. He walked back into the apartment and sat the pizza box on the floor in front of his beanbag chair where Liz had settled in. He looked at the clock on the wall.

"Oooh," Hellboy said excitedly, grabbing the remote and plopping down next to her on the beanbag chair. "'Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman' is coming on in five minutes."

"Oh, hell yeah," Liz said, opening the box grabbing a slice of pizza.

Hellboy felt terrible about how her date went, but he was happy knowing that he could help her have a better evening. He grabbed a slice of pizza and took a bite, wondering if he should bring up the singe mark on her dress.

_Nah,_ he decided, swallowing. _Bring it up on a better day._


	8. Still 17

**July 1979**

Hellboy laid flat on the weight bench, lifting the 500 lb. barbell in the air as if it were nothing. His pecs rippled and slackened as he pushed and pulled the barbell, the bar sagging slightly at the ends. He put the barbell back up on their pegs and started to take some of the weights off, knowing good and well nobody else in the Bureau could even come close to lifting that much. He took the last weight off, leaving 50 lbs. of weight still on.

Although he didn't sweat a drop during his workout, he still went over to grab an antibacterial wipe to clean off the bench and barbell. Just as he finished wiping it down, he heard the gym door open, then close and looked back in time to see Faith coming in. She was wearing next to nothing – tight, black yoga shorts that revealed the lower half of her ass, and a matching black spaghetti-strap sports bra that looked a few sizes too small, smooshing her breasts together and making the fabric look as if it would rip any moment under the pressure. On her feet were lightweight, black tennis shoes. Her hair was tied up in a bun.

"Aw, you cleaned it off for me," Faith said, sitting her water bottle down near the door. "How sweet."

Hellboy was going to hit the elliptical up next, but decided against it as soon as Faith made it apparent she was going to be here a while. He was beginning to gather up his bottle of water and portable cassette player when Faith stopped him.

"Not so fast," She said teasingly as she sat down on the weight bench. "I'm gonna need a spotter."

Hellboy was getting ready to come up with an excuse on why he couldn't do it, but the words never found their way to his mouth. He sat his things back down and very quietly sighed to himself as he walked back to the weight bench.

"How much weight did you have on here before I came in?" Faith asked as she laid supine. "I know you were lifting a lot more than fifty pounds."

"Uh," Hellboy muttered as he came to stand behind her head, placing his hands palms-up underneath the bar. "Five-hundred."

"Gosh, you're so strong," Faith said excitedly. "I don't know if I can even lift the fifty pounds that's on here."

She pulled the bar off the hooks and began pushing and pulling, her eyes fixed on Hellboy the entire time. Her gaze continuously traveled from his face, down to his pecs, down to his abs and then back to his face. Hellboy was extremely uncomfortable with how she was looking at him. He was getting ready to make a remark about how she seemed to be handling the 50 lbs. just fine and she didn't really need a spotter when she put the bar back on the hooks and sat up.

"I'm going to try a little more weight," Faith said, standing and going over to the weight plate rack.

She bent over to look at the weight plates on the lower rack, her shorts pulling up to reveal even more of her ass. Hellboy wanted to look away, but found it difficult. He wanted nothing to do with Faith, but she was definitely something to look at, and he was still a man. He felt his cock start to throb ever so slightly, the beginning of an erection, but forced himself to look away before it became noticeable.

Faith came back with 2 10 lbs. weight plates and fastened them onto each end of the barbell, bringing the total weight up to 70 lbs. She laid back and Hellboy reassumed his position as her spotter. She took the barbell off its hooks and let out a little grunt as she began pushing and pulling. She started to moan each time she pushed the bar upward. She began to grind her ass against the weight bench, making her hips do small, circular movements. She spread her legs wide, her moans getting more sexual as time went on. He noticed her nipples had hardened underneath her sports bra and he had to look away again before he got an erection.

As Hellboy's gaze landed on the door, it opened and Liz stepped in, wearing a baggy grey t-shirt, baggy black running shorts and some old, beat-up white sneakers. Faith stopped her incessant moaning as soon as she heard the door open.

"Did I interrupt?" Liz asked as she cautiously stepped in, leaving the door open behind her.

"No," Faith said huffily, putting the barbell back up on its hooks with a harsh clang and sitting up. "I was just leaving." She walked over and grabbed her water bottle off the floor, practically slamming the door behind her.

"Jeez," Liz muttered after a moment, once she was sure Faith was out of earshot. "_Did _I interrupt something?"

"I guess you sort of interrupted her," Hellboy shrugged. "She was in a perfectly fine mood before you walked in."

"She must have heard of your foot-rubbing prowess," Liz said, feigning anger. "She's trying to get you all to herself."

Hellboy laughed and walked away from the weight bench toward her. "So, what are you doing in here?"

"Well," Liz started, grabbing a hair tie from her short's pocket and tying her hair up in a bun. "There's a fitness challenge for school. I have to do so many chin-ups, push-ups, sit-ups and bench-presses starting out, and it goes up a little every day. I need you or Trevor to sign off on them." She pulled out a folded-up piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to him.

He unfolded it and read through it. "Seems simple enough. What do you wanna start with?"

"I figure chin-ups are the best place to start," Liz said, shrugging and walking over to the chin-up bar. She jumped up and grabbed the bar, hanging limply, causing her shirt to expose her belly. Hellboy noticed a small piece of metal in her belly button.

"Did you get your belly button pierced?" Hellboy asked, walking over to her and putting the paper in his pocket.

"Oh, god," Liz groaned, still hanging limply. "Are you gonna give me a lecture?"

"No," Hellboy said as he observed it. "I just had no idea you did it. How long have you had this done?"

"For about a week," Liz said, crossing her feet in the air. "This kid did it for ten bucks in his parent's kitchen with a needle –"

"Liz!" Hellboy scolded. "I'm not going to give you a lecture on getting a piercing, but I will give you a lecture for not getting it done safely."

"He sterilized the needle!" Liz whined.

"A needle that could have been used for literally anything," Hellboy sighed. "Just make sure you're cleaning it well. And keep an eye out for infection."

"Okay, _dad,_" Liz shot back. She began doing the chin-ups, Hellboy helping her keep count. By the time she was done, her cheeks were red and she was panting. She began to wonder if she could do the rest of the workouts today. Letting go of the bar, her feet hit the floor. "Sit-ups?" She asked tiredly.

Hellboy nodded, getting on his knees. She laid on her back in front of him, bending her legs and leaving her feet flat on the floor. Hellboy put his hands on her feet to hold them in place. Liz crossed her arms over her chest and began.

"Do you have any other piercings?" Hellboy asked, still counting her sit-ups.

"Not yet," Liz grunted. "I really want to get my lip pierced next."

"Well, don't be going to some kid with a needle if you decide to get it done," Hellboy urged. "I'll take you to a professional and pay for it myself. I'm really tight with Max down at Dragon's Blood."

"You know," Liz grunted as she struggled to keep doing the sit-ups. "I kind of expected you to freak out."

"Why would I?" Hellboy asked. "They're just piercings."

"I dunno," Liz said as she finished the sit-ups, cheeks growing more red. "I figured it would be more of that 'my little sissy is growin' up so fast' junk."

Hellboy shrugged. "I mean… you are, but that's just life."

"Speaking of which," Liz said, standing up. "Are you gonna help me pick out my outfit for the party tonight?"

"Oh," Hellboy said, standing as well. "That's tonight?"

"Yeah, why?" Liz asked, pinching her shirt and flapping it back and forth in an attempt to cool herself down. "Did you have a monster movie you wanted me to watch?"

"I mean," Hellboy muttered, digging a hoof into the linoleum. "Yeah… 'Creature From The Black Lagoon.' It's cool, though. I'll just watch it by myself."

"Why don't you invite Abe?" Liz asked.

"Nah," Hellboy said, smiling faintly. "I feel like that movie might hit a little too close to home for him."

"True," Liz said, getting down on the floor to start her push-ups. "So, what do you think I should wear?"

"What kind of party is it?" Hellboy asked as he sat on the floor next to her as she began the push-ups, keeping count.

"Just a house party," Liz grunted as she pushed back up off the floor. "Samantha from history class is having it."

"Do her parents know about it?" Hellboy pressed.

"Yeah, definitely," Liz struggled to say. "Her parents were the ones that encouraged her to have it in the first place from what she's said."

Hellboy nodded. "I think your tie-dye tank top and bellbottoms would look good – the denim ones with the little hearts on the back pockets."

Liz finished the push-ups and laid down on the floor, trying to catch her breath. "I don't know if I have it in me to do bench-presses…"

"I'll just sign off on it," Hellboy said, patting his pocket where the workout list resided.

"Thanks, m'lord," Liz whined from the floor. She managed to pick herself up and grabbed her water bottle, taking a long drink. "I'm gonna go shower before the party. If you want to come over in about a half an hour and help me get ready, feel free."

"I've actually got some paperwork I've been putting off," Hellboy said. "So, just come to my place when you're ready to leave and I'll drive you."

"Manning's gonna have your head if you keep slipping on that paperwork," Liz teased as she walked to the door.

"Manning can kiss my ass," Hellboy muttered as Liz sauntered off down the hallway.

**Later…**

Hellboy pulled up to the driveway, Liz anxiously squirming in the passenger seat. He passed this house every single time he dropped Liz off or picked her up from school. It was in a pretty upscale part of the neighborhood, so Hellboy's guard went down a little.

_It's a nice neighborhood_, Hellboy told himself. _The parents know about the party, there are neighbors to go to if something happens, Liz has your number. Everything's fine_…

Still, his nerves were getting to him. He was thinking about all the possibilities. He wished Liz would just stay back at his place with him and watch monster movies, eat snacks and talk, where it was safe. Where she was safe.

"See ya," Liz said, turning to get out of the van. "I'll probably call you around midnight?"

"Hey, Liz…" Hellboy said, holding a hand up. "Is there going to be alcohol at this party?"

"I mean," Liz said, shrugging. "I'm not sure. There was talk of alcohol, but that's not why I'm going."

Hellboy let out a quiet groan in his throat. "Could you promise me a few things before you go?"

Liz pressed her lips into a thin line briefly, ready to argue, but she could see that he needed her to cooperate. "Yeah…"

"One," He began. "Promise me you won't drink any alcohol, or take drinks that someone else gives you."

Liz paused and rolled her eyes. "Okay…"

"Also promise me that if anything bad happens," Hellboy said, laying his hands in his lap. "You'll call me immediately."

"Yeah," Liz quietly said. "I will."

"Promise me," Hellboy pressed.

"I promise," Liz grumbled.

Hellboy could tell she was aggravated at how protective he was, but he could also tell that she meant her promise.

"Have fun," Hellboy said, reaching out with his left hand and patting her on the arm.

"I'll try," Liz said, climbing out of the van.

Hellboy watched her until she knocked on the door and was let in by a girl around Liz's age, who he assumed was Samantha. She seemed happy to see Liz, so that helped put him at ease.

_She'll be fine_, Hellboy repeated to himself as he drove back home. _Fine, fine, everything's fine_.._._

**Later that night…**

Hellboy settled down for the movie as he had done hundreds of times before – large beanbag chair conforming to his heavy frame, pulling him inside. Popcorn and other snacks laying down near his hooves. A fuzzy wool blanket wrapped around him like a protective chrysalis.

He couldn't help but miss Liz. As she had grown older, she had been spending increasingly more time out with friends, going shopping, going to parties, going to sleepovers. He was happy for her. She had finally broken out of her own chrysalis and spread her wings. She was getting more involved with extracurricular activities – volunteer work and school clubs, mostly – and had started to attract friends.

This is what he wanted for her all along. He encouraged her constantly to get out more and enjoy life. Now that she was finally doing it, Hellboy felt… conflicted.

She had become his best friend ever since she came to the Bureau 5 years ago. They did almost everything together and had become very close. They trusted each other with secrets, they knew the most obscure details about each other – things nobody else on the planet knew, or would probably ever know.

Hellboy couldn't help but feel like the tables had turned in the cruelest way. When Liz came to the Bureau, she was extremely dependent on Hellboy, which was understandable given the circumstances. She was a scared little girl who had just accidentally killed a few dozen people – her mother, father and brother being among the casualties – by, quite literally, exploding. She was then taken to the BPRD, who aren't exactly known for their hospitality. Nobody would talk to her. Nobody would so much as tell her where she was. She was no better than a lab rat. She was just there for observation and study. She was a thing to be feared.

Then Hellboy interfered and made her feel more welcome. Against all good judgement, he barged into her containment room and did all he could to make her not be afraid. He didn't see her as a threat; just a little girl who had been through a horribly traumatic experience and needed comforting.

Obviously, she would start to feel fiercely loyal to Hellboy. He had, in a sense, saved her. For the longest time, she had promised time and time again that they would be together forever. That he was the most important person in her life; that he _was _her life.

Hellboy always felt flattered that he was that important to someone, but he felt guilty as well. He felt like he was stringing her along by allowing her to see him through rose-tinted glasses for so long. The truth was that he kind of enjoyed the attention and praise she showered him with. It made him feel wanted in a way that he never had before. It made him feel special.

She was someone who was all about him. She wanted to spend practically every waking moment with him, watching movies, playing board games, going on adventures, just laying on the floor and talking until the sun came up. She just wanted to be around him.

Now it would seem that the shoe was on the other foot. Hellboy felt almost lost without Liz here with him. Now he was the one craving her presence. He felt like he was missing a part of himself. He wondered if this is how Liz felt in the past whenever he was away on a case. Lost, alone, barely existing until they were together again. Just kind of drifting.

"You're being selfish," Hellboy muttered to himself, pulling the blanket tighter around him and laying on his side, no longer aware of the movie. He felt the corners of his eyes starting to sting and his vision became blurry.

_You're really going to _cry _over this_? Hellboy scolded himself as he blinked the tears away.

He felt foolish and pathetic. When had this shift happened? When did Liz gain all the power? Was she even aware of the hold she had on him? How could she be aware of it when Hellboy was only now realizing it himself?

_You got what you wanted_, He thought as he fitfully rolled onto his back to look at the ceiling through half-lidded eyes. _She's got friends of her own now. She's enjoying her life. She's happy._

_Without you._

…

_Riiiiiiiing!_

Hellboy jolted awake, unaware that he had even fallen asleep and unaware that the phone had woken him up. He looked at his clock, determining that he had been asleep for almost a half an hour.

_Riiiiiiiing!_

He rubbed his face with his left hand, trying to gather his bearings. He wasn't quite awake enough to remember what had happened before he fell asleep. He saw that the television was still on, and it all started to slowly come back.

_Riiiiiiiiing!_

_Liz_! Hellboy suddenly remembered, heart thumping in his chest as he got suddenly pulled back into reality. He scrambled up off his beanbag chair and darted for his phone, confused why she was calling before midnight. It was only a little after 10 o'clock.

_Riiii-_

"Hello?!" Hellboy nearly shouted, chest tight with anxiety, time feeling as if it had stopped altogether.

"Hey," Liz said, sounding nervous, sounding rushed.

"Are you okay?" Hellboy asked, pressing the phone against his pointed ear so firmly that it was a miracle he didn't snap it in two.

"Yeah, but…" She hesitated, trying to even her breathing out. "You should probably come get me."

"I'm on my way," Hellboy said, starting to pull the phone away from his ear. "Same place?"

"Well, uh…" Liz said, her voice cracking slightly. "I'll go wait at the park."

"Okay," Hellboy said. "I'll be there. Be careful."

He hung up and darted out to the parking garage, his mind racing a million miles a minute and his heart hammering away in his chest. Something had obviously gone wrong in some way. As much as he wanted to know what that something was, he didn't want to waste time talking about it on the phone. He was just focused on getting Liz back to the Bureau, where she was safe.

Once in the parking garage, he yanked one of the keys off the wall and slid into the driver side of one of the vans, putting the key in the ignition and starting it up. He took off in Liz's direction, trying his best not to speed.

.

.

.

Hellboy pulled up to the park and sat with the engine running for what felt like an eternity, but was probably only less than 30 seconds, hoping that Liz would hear the van and come his way, and also wanting the van to be ready to go in case they needed to make a getaway. He entertained the idea of someone possibly following her or her being in some sort of danger where retreat might be the best course of action.

He looked out through the windows for any sign of Liz, but didn't see signs of anyone at all. There weren't even other vehicles on the road. He waited for a few more seconds in the hope that Liz would show up eventually, but no such luck. It seemed like there wasn't another soul for miles.

Hellboy took the key out of the ignition, killing the motor. He stuffed the key into his pocket and got out of the van, making a point to leave it unlocked in case Liz showed up while he was searching the park for her. He began walking down the path, hooves echoing hollowly on the concrete, eyes constantly darting this way and that, his head constantly jerking and turning. It seemed almost as if the town were deserted. He didn't hear or see the smallest trace of anyone else. Hellboy made a quick lap around the main area of the park, then wandered back where the playground equipment was.

He saw her almost instantly, sitting motionlessly on one of the swings, slumped over with her arms hanging from her lap. Her face was mostly in shadow. She didn't seem aware of his presence, face pointed down at the stones that covered the ground around the swing set.

"Liz!" Hellboy called in a hushed shout, fighting the urge to run right over to her. He didn't know what she had been through since he dropped her off at the party, and didn't want to possibly startle her by simply bounding over to her without announcing his presence.

She raised her head slightly, the streetlight hitting her eyes, making them shine. She put her head back down.

Hellboy ran over, hooves reverberating loudly the whole way. He slowed as he came closer, not wanting to go sliding on the stones.

"What happened?" Hellboy asked, crouching down at her feet and attempting to get a better look at her. He didn't want to touch her until he knew the details.

"There was alcohol at the party," Liz said plainly. She seemed to be hesitating, holding something back.

"Well," Hellboy said. "I figured there might be some. Did-"

"I didn't have any," Liz said, already knowing what he was going to ask. "But almost everyone was drunk." She began pushing herself back and forth on the swing, the stones beneath her feet crunching, her feet never leaving the ground.

"You didn't have to leave just because there was drinking going on," Hellboy said. "I just didn't want you drinking any."

Liz sighed. "I almost got raped."

Hellboy flinched as if he had gotten a small electrical shock. "Excuse me?"

"These four boys," Liz started explaining, looking down at her hands. "I went upstairs to the bathroom. Samantha's parent's room was down the hall. They must have followed me upstairs or been waiting, or something. After I washed my hands, this one boy from gym class was waiting for me outside the bathroom door. He said he needed to show me something and… I knew something was up. He was just really insistent and pushy. He basically corralled me into Sam's parent's bedroom. He locked the door behind him and the other three pinned me to the bed… it was kind of dark, and it all happened so fast. I didn't get a good look at the other three."

Hellboy could feel his blood turn to ice and his hands shake, even his right hand. He had always thought rape was a possibility, just like murder or kidnapping was a possibility, but he didn't want to prevent Liz from living her life just to prevent horrible things from happening. A life lived in fear wasn't a life at all.

"Did you call the police?" He asked, sitting on the stones Indian style.

"And tell them what?" Liz asked. "Nothing actually happened, so there's nothing to report. Besides, I don't want Sam's parents to get in trouble for the party."

Hellboy opened his mouth and paused, wanting to argue that she should contact the authorities, but Liz was right. No action could really be taken against the boys since there wasn't any actual crime. There was an attempted rape and possible assault, but there was no real evidence that it happened, and she could only positively identify one of the boys, who were probably all minors. Samantha's parents were probably the only ones who would get in trouble. He decided to drop it.

"How far did the boys get?" Hellboy asked, honestly not wanting to know the details, but needing to know them.

"They…" Liz paused and swallowed, clearly becoming uncomfortable. She inhaled and continued. "They got my shirt off. They were working on my bra and pants…"

"How'd you get away?" Hellboy asked.

Liz suddenly stopped moving back and forth on the swing and looked up from her hands. She locked eyes with Hellboy and gradually looked back down at her hands, slowly balling them up into fists and resting them in her lap.

"I'm getting better at controlling it," Liz almost whispered.

Hellboy observed her, looking deep into her eyes, even though her eyes were fixated on her hands. The look in her eyes was one of vague satisfaction. She seemed pleased with herself, in a way. Hellboy felt a little foolish just then. Liz was afraid of her powers, but it would only make sense that she would experiment with them – perhaps as an attempt to conquer her fear, perhaps simple curiousity. He couldn't believe that he had just assumed that she never purposely experimented with her pyrokinesis.

"How badly did you burn them, Liz?" Hellboy asked, quietly and slowly. He held his breath as he waited for her response.

"Not bad," Liz explained, shaking her head. "I think I scared them more than hurt them."

Hellboy breathed a sigh of relief that was almost audible, gently shutting his eyes. If she had horribly injured or killed someone with her pyrokinesis, Hellboy couldn't do much to protect her. She'd get locked up again, and who knows if it would be at the Bureau this time. They almost certainly would never see each other again. The thought alone made Hellboy feel panicked for himself, and Liz as well.

"I burned the bed a little," Liz blurted out. "That's mostly what made them freak and run. But I burned their hands a little, too. They'll probably have blisters. But, the really cool thing was that when the bed was starting to catch fire, I _stopped _it. I didn't just contain it – I totally _stopped _the fire. I was scared out of my mind at what was happening, but I still had control."

As angry as Hellboy was feeling about the attempted rape, he was honestly in awe of Liz at that moment. She had overcome so much in her short life. Hellboy had helped her get to this point, but she had the willingness and courage to keep pushing herself. She was like a flower growing through a crack in the sidewalk, thriving where it wasn't meant to grow. Liz was more amazing than she probably realized.

"You'll make a great asset to the Bureau," Hellboy said, trying to lighten the mood. "If you still want to join us."

"Oh," Liz said, getting up off the swing. "I definitely want to join now. I feel… empowered. I've never felt as alive as I felt tonight."

Hellboy, still sitting on the ground, looked up at Liz. Everything about her seemed a little different than it was when he dropped her off at the party. Her posture – the way she slightly arched her back, the way she held her chin in the air, the way she squared her shoulders. Her very energy seemed different. She seemed almost dangerous, like a wild animal let out of its cage. This experience was like an awakening for her – a defining moment in her life. Hellboy couldn't help but feel kind of proud.

Hellboy stood up. Sensing that she wasn't too shaken up, he slowly pulled her into a hug; a hug that she didn't reciprocate at first. She just stood there with her arms at her sides, face turned sideways. Hellboy rubbed her back gently.

"We're gonna have to pull you out of school," Hellboy quietly said. "It's too risky, especially if all four of them are students."

Liz sighed and wrapped her arms around him, returning the hug. "I know."

"How's about we head back home?" Hellboy asked, breaking the hug but still keeping his left hand on her back, urging her in the direction of the van.

"Yeah…" Liz said as if she were lost in thought.

They walked through the park, heading back to the van. Hellboy was a person that was usually on high alert, even if there was nothing to be alarmed about, but he was on extra high alert as they made their way back up the trail. He knew nobody would be dumb enough to try to attack Liz when he was around, but he was still very much ready for it to happen. He fully entertained the idea that her would-be rapists may have followed her or attempted to track her down.

_I'd love it if they did_, Hellboy thought angrily to himself, feeling the fingers on his right hand twitch with anticipation.

As they approached the van, Hellboy opened the passenger door for her. He held her hand as she climbed in, and carefully shut the door behind her. He didn't want to let her out of his sight. He walked around and got in the driver's seat, pulling the key out of his pocket and starting the vehicle.

The ride back to the Bureau was a quiet one. Neither of them said a word, both lost in their thoughts. Hellboy was a little angry at himself for allowing her to go to the party, but he didn't want to start putting restrictions on her, either. He wanted her to have as normal of a teenage experience as she could possibly have, since her childhood was so traumatic. He wanted the rest of her life to be without fear, pain or sadness. He wanted Liz's life to be a constant positive, always going up. He wanted her to always be happy.

He realized now that he was a fool. It was literally impossible to have a normal life without some sort of hardship. People died, people fell in and out of love, people argued, people lied and backstabbed each other. There was no way to sheild Liz from any of that unless he kept her in a bubble.

He just wished, for a moment, that being in a bubble with him would be enough for her. He only wanted the best for Liz. His intentions were pure, and he would never manipulate her or purposely steer her wrong. He wanted to protect her from the ugliness in the world, but he realized that it was impossible.

They pulled into the parking garage and got out of the van. They walked into the Bureau and headed to Hellboy's apartment. Hellboy's television was still playing since he had left in such a hurry and neglected to turn anything off. They both laid down on his beanbag chair, not saying a word, looking at the screen of the television, but not actually seeing it.

Hellboy felt somewhat relieved that Liz was back home and physically unharmed, but he was also very restless. Anything could have happened to her, and it was on his watch. He had allowed her to go; he was the only one that even knew she was going.

Guilt began to set in.

He gave a subtle, sidelong glance at Liz and saw that she had fallen asleep. He couldn't help but watch her for a few moments as she breathed lightly, lips slightly parted. She looked so peaceful.

_She's safe_, Hellboy told himself. _She's back where she belongs. _

Hellboy grabbed a blanket and carefully covered her up, doing his best not to wake her. He started watching his television, able to pay attention since he convinced himself of Liz's safety. Without meaning to, he fell asleep on the beanbag chair beside her, both sleeping soundly throughout the night.


	9. Secrets

**September 1979**

Hellboy and Liz walked down the street, the early morning sun at their backs. The city was slowly starting to come alive with the warm, orange glow. There weren't too many people out and about this time of day – mostly just people heading to work or going out for breakfast - but Hellboy got odd looks from just about everyone that passed, even from people in their cars. He ignored them, carefully keeping his gaze forward or on Liz.

They were on their way to get breakfast and just generally enjoy the day. Hellboy had some time off of work, and they hadn't had much time to just hang out and enjoy each other's company. They had stayed up the entire night, watching monster movies, talking and eating junk food, and decided around 4 in the morning that breakfast sounded like a fun idea. They patiently waited for it to be around 8 o'clock – the time the café opened - before they headed out the door.

The chilly autumn air made their breath come out in little clouds of condensation whenever they spoke, exhaled or laughed. Liz pulled her coat tighter around her body, shivering.

"You should've wore a thicker coat," Hellboy said with mild disapproval.

"It'll get warmer in about an hour," Liz said, teeth clacking together. "It's s-still early y-yet. Besides, it'll be w-warm at the coffee place."

They waited at the pedestrian crosswalk, and crossed when they saw no cars coming. They stopped at the front door of the coffee shop, Hellboy holding the door for Liz, who practically ran inside to escape the cold.

"Red! Liz!" Rachel greeted from behind the counter. "It's been almost a week. I thought you guys forgot about us."

"Impossible," Hellboy said with a smile as him and Liz walked up to the counter.

"I assume you want something warm," Rachel said, looking at Liz as she picked up a pen and rested the tip on her order pad, leaving a small ink smudge behind. "You look frozen stiff."

"Large coffee, black," Liz said, arms wrapped around her torso, hands gripping her upper arms.

Rachel scribbled down the order and looked up at Hellboy with a warm smile. "And what'll you have, big guy?"

"Extra large iced raspberry latte," Hellboy said. "Two shots of espresso, one extra shot of raspberry."

Liz stared up at him in disgust. Hellboy acted like he didn't notice.

Rachel nodded, jotting his order down. "Anything to eat?"

"I'll have strawberry pancakes, please," Hellboy said, looking down at Liz.

Liz finished glaring at him and looked at Rachel. "I'll have a perfectly normal poppy bagel with perfectly normal cream cheese to go with my perfectly normal black coffee, please."

Rachel smiled and nodded, scribbling the order down and handing it to one of her co-workers behind the counter. "Coming right up. You guys can have a seat and I'll bring it out to you."

Hellboy and Liz turned and walked over to their usual booth seat. The place wasn't super busy, but still pretty busy for the time of day. Out of all of the places Hellboy and Liz had eaten at over the years, this was hands down their favorite, and many of the locals seemed to feel the same. Whenever a tourist or a person simply passing through asked a local where the best place to grab a bite to eat or where a good coffee could be had, they almost always pointed them in the direction of Smith's Café.

"You have the weirdest tastes in the goddamn world," Liz muttered, staring at her half-demon friend from across the table. "Have I ever told you that?"

"Yeah, more than once," Hellboy said with a smile, grabbing a packet of grape jam from the condiment caddy and batting it back and forth across the table between his hands.

Liz made a face as she watched him. "You gonna put that jam in your iced raspberry coffee? They have some pepper packets over there, too." She pointed to the condiment caddy that was pressed up against the wall at their table.

"Nah," Hellboy said with a smirk, looking down at the jam packet as he slid it back and forth. "Not really feeling jam or pepper today. Ketchup on my pancakes don't sound half bad, though…"

Liz wrinkled up her nose. "You're going to make me sick. If I see you so much as look at that bottle of ketchup when your pancakes get here, I'm leaving."

Hellboy's smirk grew a little wider and he stopped batting the packet of grape jam around, but he didn't look away from it.

"Don't you dare," Liz warned quietly.

Rachel walked up to their booth, two plates carefully balanced on her right forearm, and a cup in each hand. Hellboy immediately stood and took the plates off her arm and sat them on the table.

"If I'd have known you were doing it all in one trip, I would have helped," Hellboy said as Rachel sat their drinks in front of them.

Rachel's ever-present smile grew and she put her hands on her hips once they were empty. "It's no trouble, big guy. You worry too much. It's so cute."

Rachel reached a hand up to his face and gently pinched his cheek, shaking it slightly. She turned to walk back behind the counter to help her co-worker's with the slowly growing line of customers. Hellboy sat back down, watching her walk away.

"Did ya hear that?" Liz said with a tiny laugh. "She said you're cute."

"Ha, no," Hellboy said, turning his attention back to Liz. "She said I worry too much and _that's _cute. Not that I'm cute."

Liz shrugged. "Same thing. Think you could make it any more obvious you were staring at her ass when she walked away?"

Hellboy groaned as he unwrapped his silverware from its napkin. "I wasn't staring at her ass – I was looking at the back of her head. And how could you even tell what I was looking at? I don't have pupils."

Liz picked up her bagel and took a bite, staring at her black coffee as the steam danced on the surface and disappeared into thin air, doomed to repeat the process until it was cooled down. She briefly wished that she was like Hellboy – able to drink almost anything without burning his mouth. Liz might have been able to withstand fire burns, but steam and general heat was another story. She was still cold from their walk and desperately wanted something warm inside of her. The coffee was very tempting, but she had to settle for just putting her hands on the insulated paper cup, letting it thaw her fingers.

Hellboy regarded the condiment caddy and tapped his goatee with the index finger of his stone hand, as if he were thinking. He took his left hand and hovered it over the mustard for a moment, then shook his head as he moved on to the barbeque sauce. He allowed his fingers to touch the cap, looking at Liz with a barely-contained grin on his crimson face.

"Liz, could you help me?" Hellboy asked in a teasing manner. "I forget. What goes on pancakes?"

Liz smirked, hands still on her coffee. "Pretty sure it's horseradish."

"Well," Hellboy said, giving an exaggerated shrug. "I don't see any on the table. And I don't feel like buggin' Rachel. What's a good substitute?"

"Vinegar," Liz said, smiling, unable to keep herself from scrunching up her nose in disgust. "Soak 'em in vinegar. Make them so soggy that you don't even have to chew."

"Great idea," Hellboy said, reaching for the bottle of Heinz malt vinegar.

Liz's hands flew from her coffee cup and wrapped around his left wrist. She knew Hellboy would never defile a stack of perfectly good pancakes, but she had a weak stomach and seeing him even reaching for the vinegar was making her queasy.

Hellboy chuckled playfully and changed his hand's trajectory, her hands still wrapped around his wrist. He grabbed the maple syrup and she let him go. He lifted up the top 3 pancakes, pouring syrup on the bottom 4th pancake. Then he let the 3rd bottom one fall on top of the 4th, drowning it in syrup, and continued the process until he got to the top pancake, also dumping syrup over it.

Liz stared at him, stomach feeling uneasy at the copious amount of syrup he was about to consume. Holding the remaining half of her bagel in her left hand, she raised her coffee to her lips, very carefully taking a sip. It was still pretty hot, but it wasn't likely to burn her mouth or throat, so she took a gulp, closing her eyes as it slowly started to warm her up.

Hellboy practically shoveled his pancakes into his wide, red mouth, getting some syrup stuck in his goatee. He stopped every few moments to wash it down with his iced raspberry latte, which looked horribly out of place whenever he held the straw up to his lips. It was one of the girliest drinks Smith's Café had to offer, both in appearance and taste. The latte itself was pink and topped off with a mound of whipped cream, raspberries and chocolate chips, which was all drizzled with raspberry syrup. Seeing someone who looked like Hellboy drinking it was… odd.

Liz finished her bagel around the same time that Hellboy finished his huge stack of pancakes and most of his latte. He was using his spoon to scoop the whipped-cream-chocolate-chip-raspberry syrup mess out of the bottom of his cup when Rachel came by with the bill. She sat it on the edge of the table.

"How was everything?" She asked, smiling, hooking her thumbs in her belt loops.

"Great," Hellboy said, pulling his wallet out and grabbing a twenty-dollar bill, placing it on the bill.

Rachel took it and started counting out the change when Hellboy stopped her with a raised hand.

"Well, if there's nothing else I can do for you two," Rachel said, grabbing their plates and taking a step away from the table. "You two have a good one."

Hellboy nodded and waved. "You too, Rachel."

Hellboy scooped the last of the latte in his mouth and sat the cup toward the edge of the table. Him and Liz got up, Liz grabbing her nearly full coffee and they headed out the door. The day had definitely gotten warmer while they were in the café. Liz unzipped her coat as they walked down the street.

"So, where to now?" Liz asked, taking a sip of her coffee.

"I dunno," Hellboy said with a shrug. "We haven't been to the mall in a while. I could get you that new AC/DC album you've been wanting."

Liz smiled as they changed their course in the direction of the mall. By the time they made it to the mall, Liz was sweating under her coat, shaking it around to try to provide some air flow.

"I could hold it for you," Hellboy said, holding out his stone arm.

Liz seemed to hesitate for a few moments, almost as if she didn't hear him, but eventually took him up on his offer. Beneath her coat, she wore a long sleeve Kiss shirt. She held the edges of her sleeves under her fingers, digging her nails, which were painted black and chipping, into the fabric. The tips of her fingers were turning red with the pressure she was applying.

"You okay?" Hellboy asked, referring to the way she was holding her sleeves.

"Yeah," She said back quickly. "My arms are kind of cold."

Hellboy nodded and folded her coat over his left arm, letting his big stone arm hang at his side. They entered the mall and headed straight for Camelot Music. Hellboy got distracted by some Johnny Cash albums – or, as Liz would say, "old people music," - and began to browse through the selection. Liz went ahead to look at the new releases.

As Liz spotted the AC/DC album she was after, she felt a presence behind her. It definitely wasn't Hellboy. This presence felt scary and threatening – the exact opposite of him. She turned around to see the boy from gym class. The one that had lured her into Samantha's parent's bedroom.

"Hey," The boy said, blocking her into the corner with his body.

Liz could feel her palms clamming up and her heart racing under his glaring gaze. She wanted to say something - tell him off, call for help, yell for Hellboy, anything – but her throat seemed to have closed and her mouth suddenly felt too dry to properly work. She stared at him like a deer in the headlights.

"What?" The boy asked quietly as he took the tiniest step closer to her.

He was so close to her that his body was practically pressed up against hers. Her back was wedged into the corner. She had nowhere to go. The air between them was becoming muggy with a mixture of their body heat and his breathing.

"Don't have anything to say?" He practically growled. He raised a leg up and started grinding his knee between her legs, where her vagina was. Slowly, sensually.

A barely audible gasp escaped her lips as his knee rubbed. Liz wanted so badly to push him over, to phase through the wall or for someone to notice what was going on and put a stop to it, but she knew that they probably looked like lovers to the casual passerby. Nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing to be alarmed over.

"I don't know how you did it," The boy said, lowering his face to Liz's and pressing his knee, rather painfully, into her vagina. "But you're gonna pay for that little fire stunt you pulled."

Feeling tears of both anger and fear well up in her amber eyes, Liz found her voice, even though it came out in a strangled whisper, and she couldn't bring herself to make eye contact with him.

"I'll do it again, bitch," Liz managed to get out.

"What the fuck did you say, cunt?" He growled, grabbing her shoulder roughly and giving her vagina a sharp jab with his knee, causing her to wince in pain.

"I said," Liz growled out, raising her eyes to look at him, lip twitching as adrenaline surged through her veins. "I'll do it again."

Though Liz had very little room, she managed to get enough momentum and brought her knee up, connecting with his balls. His face turned pale, then flushed a deep red. He grabbed his groin and slowly collapsed to the floor. He tried to say something, but it came out as a pathetic groan.

Liz rushed past him and went to look for Hellboy. He had migrated to some even older "old people music," like Nat King Cole and Billie Holiday. He was looking at a Skip James record when Liz grabbed his arm. He looked down at her in alarm, putting the record back in its crate.

"We have to go," She said quietly, urgently.

She tugged on his arm and he reluctantly followed, looking around the store as they left. He didn't see any threat, but he didn't want to hang around based on Liz's sudden change in mood. Hellboy let Liz lead the way until they were outside the mall. He pulled her into a little back alley and held her shoulders between his hands, keeping her at arm's length.

"What happened?" He asked, trying to make her look at him, to no avail.

Liz took a deep breath, eyes not focusing on anything and darting around. "I… the boy from gym class. The one that got me into the bedroom at the party. He cornered me."

"Why didn't you call for me?" Hellboy asked, letting go of her shoulders.

"I couldn't talk," She said helplessly. "I wanted to. I wanted to call for you, or somebody. I just… I couldn't say anything. The words wouldn't come."

"Are you okay?" Hellboy asked. "Did he hurt you?"

"He…" Liz paused, suddenly feeling awkward as she tried to explain. "He put his knee…" She didn't want to verbally explain, so she gestured to her groin area.

Liz could tell Hellboy had half a mind to go back in there and confront the little bastard, so she reached out and grabbed his left wrist.

"It's okay," Liz said, the ghost of a smile creeping onto her lips. "I used my knee, too."

Hellboy sighed, trying to calm down. He knew no good would come out of him dealing with the guy himself. He didn't feel like causing a scene or catching a murder charge would help anything, so he stood there, trying to stamp out the wildfire that was his temper.

"You're okay, though?" Hellboy repeated.

"Yeah," Liz said, nodding. "I'm fine."

She got ready to turn around, to head back to the Bureau or, at the very least, away from the mall, but she almost tripped on her shoestring that must have come untied when she was rushing away from Camelot Music. She squatted over her black Doc Marten boots and began to tie her shoe back up.

Hellboy saw her sleeves come up and noticed scabbed-over cuts lining her arms. It looked like she had been nearly mauled to death by a pack of feral cats, but just on the inside of her arms, and all going in the same direction.

"What the hell?" Hellboy asked, yellow eyes widening.

"What?" Liz asked, pulling her sleeves back down and letting her shoestrings fall to the concrete. She stood up, attempting to play dumb. She even looked off into the distance, almost as if she were trying to divert his attention elsewhere.

"What's goin' on with your arms, Liz?" Hellboy demanded, already knowing the answer, feeling dread fill his chest.

"It's nothing," Liz said, walking away despite her boot still being untied.

"It's not fuckin' 'nothing,'" Hellboy spat.

Liz was fast, but Hellboy was faster. Two of her strides equaled one of his. He closed the gap in no time and blocked her in the alley. She tried to get around him, but he was much larger than her. Feeling cornered and panicked, she got frustrated and punched him straight in the gut, full force, but he didn't even flinch.

"You're gonna answer me," Hellboy demanded. "Right now."

Liz stared at him for a few seconds and darted past him, and he turned just in time to grab her. He easily lifted her up by the waist and walked her deeper into the alley. She kicked, pleaded and protested, but he ignored her. Once they got to the dead end of the alley, sandwiched between two brick buildings, he sat her down on an upside down milk crate.

She stared at him venomously, defiantly.

"I've let a lot of shit slide with you," Hellboy growled, seeming to almost be shaking with anger. "Shit I should have told Trevor about. Shit I've lost sleep over because I was worried sick. You know why I let it slide?"

Liz didn't answer. She wasn't even looking at him. She was leaning back against the wall, sitting on the milk crate with her arms crossed, eyes down at the ground. She was in full-blown moody-teen mode.

"Well, I'll tell ya why," Hellboy continued when it was obvious she wasn't going to answer. "I didn't tell Trevor because I knew he would have had you locked up again, and I know that's no good for you. It would have made everything worse if you went back to the I and O wing… so I kept my trap shut, because I care about you, Liz. I want what's best for you."

Liz shifted her weight on the milk crate and turned her head even farther from Hellboy so that he could only see half of her face.

"But…" He started. "I feel like I went about it the wrong way. Maybe being locked up is what's best for you after all."

Liz turned her head back so fast that it was a wonder her neck didn't snap. Her eyes weren't cold and mean anymore. Suddenly, they were big, soft and pleading, moist with tears.

"Hellboy," Liz whined. "Please…"

"I have to do it, Liz," Hellboy mumbled, shaking his head slightly. "I've been quiet for too long. You need help. I'm not going to let this go."

Liz slid off the milk crate and got on her knees. She literally threw herself at Hellboy's hooves and wrapped her arms around his legs. She sobbed pathetically, body heaving.

"You… you can't," Liz said, voice muffled. "Please…"

"Crying's not going to work, kid – not this time," Hellboy said, although he did feel his heartstrings tugging at her pathetic display. "This is just how it's gotta be until we get this figured out."

Liz's sobbing got increasingly louder. She had a death grip on his legs. He draped her coat over her shoulders, easily unlatched her from him and scooped her up into his arms. She writhed and tried to break free, but she was no match for Hellboy.

"Liz, don't cause a scene," Hellboy pleaded.

Hellboy was originally planning on walking her all the way back to HQ, but figured it would be much easier to have someone from the Bureau come and pick them up. He searched for a payphone as they emerged from the alley and, thankfully, there was one nearby. Hellboy walked over to it, digging in his pocket for change, tucking Liz beneath his right arm like a stack of books. She kicked and flailed, but the immediate area was mostly deserted, so she didn't draw any attention with her tantrum.

Hellboy dropped the change into the slot, took the phone off the hook and dialed. He held the phone up to his ear and waited.

"Yeah, it's Hellboy," He said into the mouthpiece while Liz writhed around. "I need someone to come get me and Elizabeth at the mall… Okay, thanks. We'll be out front by the main entrance."

He hung up and started walking out to the front of the mall, taking Liz back into both of his arms so she would be more comfortable, and also so that she would have less range of motion. He managed to hold her still enough that she could barely move. He could feel her running out of steam by the time he sat down on one of the benches. To anyone passing by, it would look like she was sitting on his lap.

"If I let you go," Hellboy said quietly. "Are you going to run away?"

Liz didn't respond, turning her head away.

"Fine," Hellboy said, shrugging. "Doesn't make any difference to me."

Liz felt her heart sink. In all of their years of friendship, Hellboy had never once been cold to her. He had always shown her love and compassion, and often gave her her way. Now that Hellboy, one of the most important people in her life, was working against her, she felt… terrible. She felt more lost and alone than the first day she came to the Bureau.

Liz closed her eyes, a single tear escaping and sliding down her cheek.

"I won't run," Liz said, sounding defeated.

Hellboy didn't let her go right away. He reached up with his left hand and gently wiped her tear away, cupping her face. He released his hold on her, but she didn't get up from his lap. Instead, she leaned against his chest, wrapping her arms around him. Hellboy cradled her in his arms and kissed the top of her head.

"I can't have you doing this, sis," Hellboy whispered to the top of her head.

Liz sniffled and pressed her face into his chest. "I know…"

"I wish you would have talked to me," Hellboy said, squeezing her gently.

"I didn't know what to say," Liz quietly sobbed. "There were so many times I wanted to tell you, but I j-j-just-"

Her voice became stuck in a loop as her crying intensified and she was no longer able to get her words out. She was becoming almost hysterical.

This pain had probably been building for months – hell, it had probably been building for years, since the accident – but Hellboy hadn't seen the extent of it. He had always felt a sort of pain, a sort of brokenness, radiating from Liz, but he had always shrugged it off. She had accidentally burned her family alive. That was enough to damage anyone.

Visibly seeing the damage manifested on her arms, Hellboy couldn't help but feel some guilt. He should have seen the signs sooner.

"Shhh," Hellboy said, rubbing her shoulder, attempting to calm her down. "We're gonna get you help."

_There's no helping me_, Liz thought as a heaving sob escaped her clenched mouth.


	10. One Week Later

****One Week Later…****

Liz scribbled frantically in her journal. She had gone the entire week in lockup without a journal and had a lot to get out. They couldn't permit her with a writing utensil right away since she had suicidal tendencies, and it was hard telling what she would do with an object with a pointy tip.

They had to wait for an order of special pens to come in – ones that bent and could cause virtually no harm to anyone or anything. They used them in prisons, mostly.

Now that she finally had an outlet for what was going on inside of her head, she felt somewhat better.

Hellboy had been pulled away on a mission the day after she got locked up in I&O, which made the transition much harder than it needed to be. According to Hellboy, Trevor had originally wanted to send her away somewhere, but Hellboy had convinced him that it wasn't a good idea. She needed to be in a familiar place with familiar people. Uprooting her would probably be the worst thing to do for someone in her mental state.

Liz had to agree. If her and Hellboy had gotten split up, she knew there was almost no way they'd see each other for a very long time. Liz felt pathetic for feeling this way, especially the older she got, but she felt like a lot of her happiness came from being around Hellboy. He gave her a sort of peace that she had never experienced with anyone else. When she started school, she was becoming less dependent on him, but she still found herself craving his presence even when she was around her own group of friends. She mostly just branched off and made other friends because he encouraged her to.

The draw she felt with him was odd. It was like there was an invisible rope that tethered them together. The longer the rope needed to get, the worse it was for her.

She wondered if Hellboy missed her the way she missed him. She wondered how often she crossed his mind while he was away.

__Probably never___,_ she decided as she scribbled away in her journal. __He's probably got way more important things to worry about than… you___._

It hurt, but it was probably the truth. While Liz was stuck back at HQ, tucked away like a document in a filing cabinet, Hellboy was out seeing the world, fighting monsters and just generally living his life. He probably didn't even have time to think about her.

She longed for the day when she could go with him on missions. She had always heard his crazy stories and so badly wanted to experience them firsthand; maybe even be useful to him out in the field…

But she knew deep down that the Bureau wouldn't want her if she wasn't mentally stable. If they thought she was going to be a danger to herself, then that meant she would be a danger to others, in the way that she wouldn't be reliable.

She sighed and stopped writing in her journal, feeling her hand cramping. She tucked her knees under her chin and stared off into space, auburn hair hanging in her amber eyes and slightly obscuring her vision.

A knock came to her door and Liz's head snapped up to look at it. Her heart hammered in her chest with excitement, thinking it was Hellboy, but the voice that came from the other side of the door was female.

"Hey, Elizabeth," Ms. Fontaine, her visiting therapist, greeted. "It's Agatha. Mind if I come in?"

Liz rolled her eyes. She couldn't stand Ms. Fontaine.

She was a visiting therapist that had been working with Liz on and off since she first arrived at the Bureau. She was your run of the mill I'm-on-your-side, I'm-down-with-the-youth therapists. She had an answer for everything, even when she didn't, and that answer was usually more pills. She never seemed to make direct eye contact with Liz and, instead, almost always seemed to be looking straight through her.

When Ms. Fontaine spoke, it was like she was reading from a script. Any time Liz brought up an issue she was having, Ms. Fontaine would practically brush it off by saying Liz just needed to think positive or that she would get another prescription for her.

Ms. Fontaine was also so seemingly happy all the time that it was sickening. She was literally always smiling. Liz had a theory that she was getting prescriptions for herself and was constantly gacked out on a cocktail of God-knows-what, seeing everything through rose-tinted glasses.

Liz made a little grunting noise in the back of her throat, giving Ms. Fontaine permission to invade her tiny space.

Ms. Fontaine opened the door, that stupid smile on her face, that stupid clipboard and blue pencil case tucked under her arm. She was wearing her stupid blue and white striped blouse, a stupid white and green argyle skirt and stupid brown clogs. Her brown hair was permed high atop her head and reeked of Aqua Net.

On her nose rested a pair of round, rose-colored glasses.

The irony was not lost on Liz.

Ms. Fontaine closed the door behind her and came to sit on the floor in front of Liz's mattress, sitting the blue pencil case next to her. Liz wasn't allowed to have any sort of furniture – too many screws, springs and sharp edges. All she had in her tiny room was her mattress on the floor – which was really more of a futon mattress than an actual bed – and her journal and pen.

"You can sit on the mattress," Liz quietly grumbled into her own knees, arms hugging her legs to her stomach and chest.

"Nah," Agatha Fontaine said, waving a hand dismissively. "I don't wanna intrude."

__Little late for that__, Liz thought.

"So, how have things been?" Ms. Fontaine asked, sitting Indian style.

Liz thanked whatever God might be listening that her skirt was long enough to cover her nether region.

"Same as last time," Liz said dryly.

Agatha scribbled something down on her clipboard. The sound made Liz's jaw clench shut. She wanted to see what was being written.

"So, no change in mood?" Agatha asked. "Nothing good, nothing bad?"

Liz stifled a sigh. "Nope. Same as last time…"

"Cool, cool," Agatha drawled out, scribbling something else on the clipboard. "How is the medication working?"

__Makes me feel like an irritable zombie__, Liz thought.

"Good," Liz said quickly.

"And what about the manifestations?" Ms. Fontaine asked, looking up from her clipboard, but her eyes seeming to focus on the space right above Liz's head. "Have you had any issues?"

'Manifestation' was a cute little term Agatha Fontaine had decided to use in reference to Liz's pyrokinesis. Although Liz hadn't had any real issues with her pyrokinesis since the accident back in Kansas, Agatha seemed hung up on her abilities. She seemed to only see the pyrokinesis as a negative thing; something that needed to be stamped out with medication.

It was mostly working. Liz could still use her abilities, but just barely. Late at night, when she was alone and the rest of the Bureau had either gone home or gone to bed for the night, she would, quite literally, play with fire. All she could manage nowadays, since being put in I&O, was a faint flicker, like a gas stove that was on its lowest setting.

It kind of scared her to be losing her ability, in a way. The fire used to scare her, but now she found that losing it was almost scarier. It was similar to how Hellboy viewed his stone right hand. He had this thing, whether he liked it or not, bound to him. It was meant to bring about destruction and chaos, but he only used it for good. He completely rejected his destiny, and even managed to rewrite it. His stone hand was originally meant to be a key to bring about the apocalypse, but he turned the tide and had made it his own.

Liz had decided at some point that her powers shouldn't be feared, even though they could, and had, caused devastation and death. She wanted to be like Hellboy. Refusing to play the cards she was dealt. She, too, wanted to rewrite her destiny and use her powers for good. In a way, her powers had become a part of who she was. Seeing them slowly vanish was like saying goodbye to a childhood friend.

Liz wanted to say all of this to Agatha Fontaine, but she knew that saying anything remotely like this would make her write out yet another prescription, and maybe worse.

"No," Liz said quietly. "No issues."

"Awesome," Agatha said, nodding and scribbling something on the clipboard.

As Agatha wrote, the tip of her pencil snapped. She made a little "tsk" noise with her tongue and unzipped the little blue pencil case that sat next to her, pulling out a tiny pencil sharpener. It was such an average, commonplace item. Practically everyone in the entire world had one, but it caught Liz's attention instantly.

The overhead light glinted off of the blade that was fastened into the center.

__A blade___,_ Liz thought with sudden desperation. __A way out___._

Liz felt like she had been punched in the throat when she realized the thought that had crossed her mind. Was she really that eager to…?

As Agatha sharpened her pencil, letting the shavings fall back into the blue pencil bag since there was no trashcan in sight, Liz found herself staring at the blade with an overwhelming sense of desire. She needed that blade. Her mind began going into overdrive as she thought of a way to get the pencil sharpener without Agatha noticing.

_I___t shouldn't be too hard to sneak it___,_ Liz thought. __She doesn't even really pay attention to me. I don't think she pays attention to much of anything.__

"I can throw those shavings away for you," Liz said, trying not to sound too eager. "There's a trashcan in the bathroom."

"Oh, that would be excellent," Agatha said, pulling the pencil out of the sharpener.

Agatha held out the pencil case to Liz, but still held on to the pencil sharpener. Liz wanted to tell her to drop it in the case so she could also clean it out, but figured that would draw too much attention and possibly expose her plan, so she just walked into the bathroom and emptied the contents of the case onto the floor.

As she separated the pencil shavings from the contents of the pencil case, she took inventory of everything. There wasn't much – a highlighter, a few pencils and pens, a big, pink eraser, some paper clips and a small pair of safety scissors.

Liz quietly sighed as she scooped the shavings off of the floor and dumped them into her tiny, metal trashcan. She put all the items back into the pencil case, zipped it up and walked back out to sit on her bed. She held the pencil case out to Agatha, who took it.

"Many thanks, man," Agatha drawled out, sitting the case at her side.

As Agatha finished writing something down on her clipboard, Liz looked around for the pencil sharpener. She saw it laying on the floor, right beside one of Agatha's horrendous brown clogs. Liz stared at it, confident that Agatha wouldn't notice her doing so.

"So," Agatha said, tapping the eraser end of her pencil against her clipboard. "Trevor tells me that your… friend… has been away for most of the time you've been moved here. Has that had an effect on you?"

Agatha was one of those people that was made uncomfortable around Hellboy, even though she didn't have much of a choice but to request that he sit in on her and Liz's session. If he wasn't present, Liz basically shut down. Without Hellboy, there was virtually no progress.

Although Agatha never came right out and said it, Liz got the impression that she was an atheist. If that theory was correct, that was probably the root of why Hellboy made her so uncomfortable: his very existence shook her entire belief system. If demons existed, that almost confirmed that other things existed. Things that Agatha had written off as fiction.

Liz imagined it would be mighty difficult to not believe in some sort of higher power when a demon was sitting directly across from you, breathing the same air as you.

"No," Liz lied. "Not really."

Liz absolutely could not risk letting Agatha, or anyone, know how deeply she missed Hellboy. She couldn't let anyone know that him being away was the hardest part of being locked up again. At least if he were there, he would make the adjustment easier and find ways to cheer her up. He always did.

Agatha scribbled on her clipboard. Liz looked at the pencil sharpener, which was still sitting near Agatha's clog. Liz got the impression that Agatha had completely forgotten that it was even there.

Liz stretched, extending her legs off the bed, throwing her head back in a quiet yawn. She subtly felt around for the pencil sharpener with her foot, knowing that it was just the right distance for her to reach from where she was sitting. She found it with the tip of her big toe and curled her toes, squishing the pencil sharpener underneath her foot.

She carefully brought her feet back up on the mattress, feeling the pencil sharpener's edges digging almost painfully into the soft flesh of her foot, and watched Agatha. As usual, she was paying no attention to Liz.

Liz crossed her legs Indian style and grabbed the pencil sharpener, palming it. Seeing that Agatha still wasn't paying attention to her, she slowly stuffed the pencil sharpener in the space between her mattress and the wall.

Just as Liz brought her hand back to rest on her lap, Agatha turned her attention back to her, but her eyes never actually focused on Liz.

"I think we should up your Valium dosage," Agatha said, nodding.

Agatha reached for the blue pencil bag and Liz held her breath. She unzipped it, dropped her pencil inside and zipped it back up. She put her clipboard off to the side.

"Well, if you don't have anything else," Agatha said, pushing her rose-tinted glasses up on her nose with her middle finger. "I think that wraps it up."

Liz paused for dramatic effect, making it seem like she was actually thinking.

"Nope," Liz said quietly. "I think that's it."

"Okay, cool," Agatha said as she stood up and smoothed out her green and white argyle skirt. She bent over and scooped up her clipboard and pencil case, tucking them back under her arm. "You take it easy, Elizabeth."

"Yep…" Liz muttered as Agatha walked out the door.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Liz stuffed her hand between the mattress and wall, feeling that the pencil sharpener was, indeed, still there. She ran the tip of her index finger over the metal.

The blade.

__My way out__, Liz thought.

****Later that night…****

Liz had waited until after dark, when the Bureau was almost completely deserted, to even dare take the pencil sharpener out. She knew that if anyone saw that she had something like that, there would definitely be terrible consequences.

Laying on her back, staring up into the darkness of her room, Liz fiddled with the pencil sharpener under the covers. She squeezed the plastic, feeling that it was pretty brittle. It wouldn't be too difficult to crack it open, but Liz wasn't sure what she had to break it with.

Liz felt a tightness in her chest as she came back to reality. She didn't necessarily feel like dying, but she didn't necessarily feel like living, either.

She was tired. Tired in a way that no girl her age should be.

She had been through so much, seen things that nobody should see. She had been able to avoid the rawness of the emotion for the most part, but the wound had opened over the years, and Liz hadn't done much to tend to the wound.

She just avoided.

She just waited, hoping that the wound would heal over on its own and not become gangrenous.

The gangrene had set in, in her mind, and it had festered.

__Sometimes the only cure for gangrene,__Liz thought as she ran her thumb across the blade.__Is to amputate.__

****2 Days Later…****

Hellboy had finally returned back to the Bureau, exhausted and weary from his mission, but he hadn't gone to his apartment to pass out like his body was screaming for him to do. He didn't even stop to let Trevor know that he had made it back in one piece.

He headed straight for Liz.

He saw through the observation window that she was sitting on her mattress, facing the wall. It looked as if she were writing in her journal or looking down at something.

He punched in the code, swiped his card and walked in. He knocked on her door with his left hand, but there wasn't a response. He knocked once more, a little harder, but still no answer. He knew he'd be welcome, but didn't want to just walk in.

"Liz," Hellboy said quietly from behind the door.

He heard what sounded like pages being ruffled, following by stomping feet. The door was nearly ripped off its hinges as Liz whipped it open.

Liz stared up at him, wide-eyed. A split second later, she had jumped up and wrapped her arms around his chest. His arms instinctively came up to tuck under her thighs and she wrapped her legs around him.

"Hey, kid," He said warmly, tiredness showing in his voice.

"Hey," Liz whimpered. "When did you get back?"

"Literally just walked in the door," He said, patting her on the back with his left hand.

Hellboy stood there, holding her. Once she made it obvious that she wasn't going to unlatch, he walked over to her mattress and sat down with her on his lap. She eventually let go and settled down next to him, eyes a little misty.

"You look tired, Red," Liz said.

"Yeah," He said, rubbing his eyes with his left hand. "That mission was… something. How have things been here?"

"Oh, god," Liz said with a laugh. "So fucking boring. The days are just blending together anymore."

Hellboy knew that it was far from fun being stuck in I&O, but he felt horrible for Liz. He had no idea when they would clear her for release again, or if they ever would. Hellboy would fight for her to be released once he felt that her mental state was at least somewhat more stable, but he was very hesitant to clear her as stable after finding out that she was self-harming.

He felt like Liz had to know this truth deep down, but he didn't want to come right out and say it. He didn't want to make it glaringly obvious that he was making a conscious effort to be more critical and observant of her mental health.

While it was true that Hellboy didn't have the final say on Liz's release, or the conditions of that release, his opinion would largely impact things. He could potentially get her out if he argued his case well enough, and while Liz was aware that Hellboy had a lot of pull around the BPRD, she probably didn't know just how much he could influence things if he put the effort into it.

For instance, if Hellboy didn't really care about Liz's health or safety, he could present his case to Trevor today and probably get Liz slated for release tomorrow. All he'd really have to do is say the word; to proclaim that Liz was well enough to leave I&O.

But he knew she wasn't anywhere near ready.

Deciding to keep her locked up was a hard call to make, even though he knew it was the better one. In I&O, it would be much harder for her to physically harm herself, but it couldn't have been doing her mental health any good. All there was to really do here was to think or sleep, and Liz hadn't been getting much sleeping done. There weren't many things to distract oneself with, which is what most people do to aid in their recovery from mental ailments like anxiety and depression. At least out in the real world, he and Liz could go places and do things.

Here… she just sat. And waited. And waited some more.

Hellboy wished there was a way for there to be a middle ground. He wanted her to have options available, for the sake of her mental health, but knew that meant she would have more opportunities to physically harm herself.

"Agatha's driving me nuts," Liz continued. "She's been visiting quite a bit. I've been stuck in here… what? Three weeks? She's already put me on two more medications and upped my dosages three times."

Hellboy didn't have the heart to tell her that she had only been in I&O for a little over a week. He knew that her concept of time had to have been all out of whack since she had no way to accurately keep track of the passing days. If she knew that she had only been locked up for a little while, it might mess with her head.

"Is the medication helping at all?" Hellboy asked.

"Fuck no," Liz said grumpily. "I'm about ready to start cheeking all of it."

"Well, don't do that…" Hellboy said, a yawn escaping.

"It's a joke," Liz said dryly. "I'm just… I don't think it's really helping. It feels like a temporary fix to a permanent problem. I feel like it's making things better in some ways, but worse in others."

"How do you mean?" Hellboy asked.

"Well, like…" Liz tried to explain, but couldn't quite think of how she wanted to word it.

She turned around and faced the wall, motioning for Hellboy to do the same. He did, crawling on his hands momentarily, tucking his legs under himself and curling his tail so that the end came to rest in front of him. Their bodies blocking the view of anyone walking by, Liz held up a hand and concentrated. Flame faintly flickered over her hand, as if it were a hologram cutting in and out.

"This is all I've been able to manage lately," Liz said, sounding almost sad. "Less and less as time goes on."

Hellboy was quiet for a while, watching the flame dance over the flesh of her hand, cutting in and out like dying candlelight that was trying to sap up all the oxygen it could. Liz made a fist and the flame was completely snuffed out.

"Are you sure it's the medication causing it?" He asked as he turned back around on the mattress, so that he wouldn't arouse the suspicion of anyone passing by the window.

Following his lead, Liz came to sit beside him. "I'm pretty sure."

"Are you sure it's not just stress?"

Liz thought about it for a few seconds, then shrugged. She hadn't completely explored that possibility. She assumed it was just the medication. Maybe it was stress, maybe it was the pills, maybe it was both.

Liz looked up at him, seeing that his eyes were fluttering closed. He snapped them back open, his whole body jerking as he fought off sleep.

"Red?" Liz asked quietly.

"Hmm?" He asked, forcing himself to stay alert.

"How long is it going to be before I'm out?" She asked, looking down at her feet.

The silence was audible.

"Nobody's really sure right now," Hellboy said carefully.

Liz looked down at the cuts on the undersides of her arms. They had mostly healed up, but there was still a faint whisper of where they were. There was one that had been cut particularly deep and had left an ugly, purple scar.

"You seem really tired," Liz said, wanting to change the subject, but also not wanting him to leave.

"Yeah, a little bit," He said, sounding half asleep.

"Well…" She said. "Guess you'd better get back to your place."

"I can sleep in here if you want," Hellboy said. "Maybe it'll help."

Liz almost started crying at the offer, feeling a lump forming in her throat. She didn't realize how really lonely she had become until he offered.

"That'd…" Liz started, but had to stop herself as she fought back a sob. "That would be nice."

Hellboy nodded and laid down on his side, pressing his back against the wall. The bed wasn't very large. It was really only meant for one person, but could fit two normal-sized people if they crammed. Hellboy would easily take up the whole bed, and then some, if he laid on his back.

He fell asleep almost instantly, breathing deeply seconds after his head hit the pillow. Liz had fallen asleep with Hellboy billions of times and was always in awe that he didn't snore.

Liz laid down on her side, facing him. She slid underneath his arm and closed her eyes as she listened to the rhythm of his breathing and felt his body heat gradually warming her. She reached for the blanket and threw it over their bodies, even though it wouldn't have been enough to even cover Hellboy up by himself.

She opened her eyes and looked at Hellboy as he slept. She always thought he looked so harmless in his sleep, much like a sleeping kitten. Liz felt herself drifting off as she stared at him, which took her by surprise, because her entire stay in I&O had been almost completely sleepless, and the sleep that she did get was often fitful and took her hours of lying down to achieve.

She didn't fight it. Instead, she pressed her face into his chest and allowed herself to succumb.

**Later that evening…**

Liz woke to a knock on the door, being pulled out of the deepest sleep she'd had in recent memory. She looked around for Hellboy, but didn't have to look far, as he was still laying in the same spot he had been laying, a small trail of drool coming out of the side of his mouth. Just as Liz began to wonder if she had imagined the knock, another knock came.

Hellboy stirred awake this time. His yellow eyes fluttered open tiredly and he looked over at the door with what looked almost like disgust. It was obvious he wasn't ready to wake up yet.

He sighed, crawled off the mattress from the bottom so that he didn't have to crawl over Liz and stumbled over to the door. He pulled it open and glared at Faith.

"Morning, sleepy," She said with a little smile.

Hellboy made no sign that he had heard her. Just stared at her with a "what do you want?" expression until she got the hint and continued.

"Police Chief Brenan is on the phone for you," She continued. "Says it's urgent."

Hellboy looked over his shoulder to look at Liz, who was still laying on the bed. His expression softened, almost as if in apology. This more than likely meant he was going away on another mission. She gave a small nod and he walked past Faith, closing Liz's door behind him.

As she heard the door click shut, she threw the blanket over herself and cried, not sure what else to do. She had absolutely no real control over her life, and it made it even worse because Hellboy – the one person who really__got__her and always managed to make things better – was probably going to be leaving for God knows how long, leaving her to sink further into madness in her little prison cell.

About 5 minutes later, a knock came on the door. Liz wiped her tears away and took her head out from under the blanket.

"Come in," She said.

Hellboy came back in, a mildly guilty look on his face. She knew what he was about to say. Dread set in all over again. He came to sit near her on the mattress, his tail scraping the floor from somewhere on the other side of him.

"That was Drew," Hellboy muttered. "Says he's having some issues with some mutants that are holed up in the sewer…"

He let his words hang. Liz continued to lay there, bunched up under her blanket like she didn't hear him.

"I'm not sure how long I'll be gone," He continued.

Liz flipped over on her other side and faced the wall. Hellboy turned around to look at her back.

"Come on, Liz," He said. "Don't be like that."

"Just go," She grunted.

"No," Hellboy said. "I'm leaving tomorrow. They're going to need some time to evacuate people before I come check it out, just in case thing go south. I'm staying with you tonight."

"Why bother waiting?" Liz shot back, turning over to glare at him. "You're just delaying the inevitable."

Hellboy had to keep himself from being mean. He was sleep deprived as hell and wasn't exactly looking forward to jumping right back into another case, so he already wasn't in the best mood. Now he had Liz giving him attitude for doing his job. He knew that Liz wasn't quite herself, with all the stress she was dealing with, so he didn't let his anger get the better of him.

"I'll try to make it up to you when I get back," Hellboy said. "I'll try to convince Trevor to let you out with supervision on certain days of the week. Baby steps."

Liz rolled her eyes. Hellboy felt his anger start to rise slightly.

"What?" He asked. "Not good enough for you?"

"Just leave," Liz said, voice straining as she began to cry. She cupped her face in her hands, a sob breaking through.

"Hey," Hellboy said as he laid down next to her. "Come on, now."

Liz pushed him away, face growing red. Hellboy grabbed her right wrist with his left hand, not daring to grab her other wrist with his right. She slapped at his chest with her free left hand in a vain attempt to make him leave.

"Knock it off, Liz," He said as she writhed around in his grip.

Her slaps turned into punches. He could barely feel them, and Liz was probably hurting her fists more than anything, but it was still irritating Hellboy. He let go of her wrist and got up off the bed.

"Fine," He said, taking a step closer to the door. "I'm out of here."

Just as his hand touched the doorknob, she jumped off of the mattress and wrapped her arms around his waist. She dug her face into the small of his back and sobbed. He tucked his tail between his legs so that it would be out of her way.

He quietly sighed and reached behind himself to pet her hair with his left hand. She was definitely dealing with a lot mentally, so lashing out was understandable. He needed to exercise patience and understanding, even if it meant putting up with a few punches and slaps here and there.

"Please stay," She whined into his back.

"I'll stay with you tonight, Liz," Hellboy said gently. "Just don't punch me anymore."

She laughed into his back and unlatched herself from him. She stood up, cheeks red and tears streaming down her face. Hellboy reached up with his left hand and cupped her face, wiping her tears away.

"I'm sorry," Liz whispered. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

"It's okay," Hellboy said, pulling her into a hug. "You just need help."

__If only you knew__, Liz thought.

"Come on," Hellboy said as he broke the hug. "I'm exhausted."

He walked over to the mattress and laid down, back against the wall as before. He opened his arms, inviting Liz into them. She laid down in his embrace and pulled the covers over them. He kissed her on the forehead. Liz smiled and did the same to him, except she kissed one of his horn stumps instead of his forehead. Hellboy chuckled.

"How early are you leaving tomorrow?" Liz asked.

"Later in the day," Hellboy said. "The sewer mutants usually don't cause any mayhem until the evening hours."

"Could… could we have breakfast in the morning?" Liz asked sheepishly.

"Absolutely," Hellboy said, a smile spreading across his face. "What do you want me to make?"

"Blueberry pancakes," Liz said, her face just inches from his.

Hellboy nodded. "It's a date."


	11. Tired

**The Next Morning…**

Liz awoke with a jolt. There were no windows in the I&O wing, so she couldn't be certain of the time of day, but the lights in the hallway were on and Hellboy was nowhere to be found.

She felt panicked suddenly as she sat up on her mattress.

_He wouldn't have left without saying goodbye, _Liz told herself. _Would he?_

Her mind and heart was racing a mile a minute when a knock came on the door. Only, the knock sounded different. It came from a lower area on the door, like someone was knocking with their knee instead of their hand.

Confused, Liz rushed over to the door and opened it a crack. When she peeked through the crack, she saw Hellboy holding two enormous plates of syrup-covered pancakes in each hand.

_Oh,_ Liz thought. _I forgot all about that…_

She pulled the door the rest of the way open and closed it behind him. Hellboy sat down on her bed, sitting one of the plates carefully on her mattress. He pulled two plastic forks out of his duster pocket and placed one on Liz's plate.

"You okay?" He asked, looking up at her and stabbing his fork into the center of the top pancake. "Looks like you saw a ghost."

"Yeah," Liz sighed, coming over to sit by him. "Just… I guess I forgot you agreed to make breakfast. I thought you had just left without saying goodbye."

Hellboy chuckled. "Nah, I wouldn't do that on purpose."

Liz sat down on her mattress and put her plate of pancakes on her lap. Grabbing the fork, she ripped off a chunk of a pancake and took a bite. She glanced at Hellboy. She looked back down at her pancakes and stabbed at them with her plastic fork.

"So…" Liz said quietly. "Do you think any of this will hurt my chances of being a Bureau agent when I turn eighteen?"

Hellboy was quiet as he considered her question. Mental health was a pretty important factor. They had to make sure their agents weren't going to cave under pressure or snap and kill their fellow agents if something went wrong.

Or snap and kill themselves.

But, really, as long as you could tell the difference between right and wrong, reality and fantasy, that's all that truly mattered.

Hellboy gave a half shrug. "You should be fine. I doubt any of this will even be on your record."

From somewhere under Hellboy's duster came a series a short, shrill beeps. Liz felt anxious at the noise, knowing it was Hellboy's pager.

With a grumble, he reached into his duster and pulled out the pager, reading it.

"Guess Manning is putting together some meeting," Hellboy rolled his eyes, sitting the pager on the floor near his hooves. "Gotta leave for it in about an hour."

Liz sat her pancakes off to the side, on the floor, and looked despondent.

"I'm sorry," Hellboy said, putting his left hand on her back.

Liz was angry, but not at Hellboy. He was the one that got her put in here, but he was acting with her best interest in mind. She had no right to be mad at him. She was mostly just angry at herself, for so many reasons.

She was weak, and that's all there was to it. She couldn't control her emotions, which is why she wound up at the Bureau in the first place. She became upset and incinerated thirty-two people. She got sent to the Bureau and became much too dependent on Hellboy's companionship. When he would leave on assignment, Liz felt like she had nothing. When things went bad in her life outside of Hellboy, she turned to self harm.

Now, she was trapped in I&O again. All because she couldn't handle her emotions like a normal person.

With Hellboy getting ready to leave her for an unspecified amount of time – hours, days, weeks? – she was feeling like an emotional wreck and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Except numb herself.

Numb herself until she couldn't feel anything.

_God,_ Liz thought wearily. _I'm so tired of feeling. I'm just so tired…_

Liz suddenly became aware that Hellboy had also sat his plate of pancakes off to the side and had wrapped her in warm embrace. She wondered how long he had been doing it for. Everything suddenly seemed so distant and not quite real.

Liz was somewhere else in her mind. She was back in Kansas with her parents and brother. Life was good. She was happy. Things were simple.

_I would give anything to be back with them, _Liz thought.

Liz realized Hellboy had been talking for a while as he held her. It sounded like his voice was coming from far away even though his mouth was inches from her ear.

"… and I'll have Abe check on you, okay?" Hellboy said.

Liz just sat there, confused as to what was going on with her, but not able to make herself care enough to really give it any thought. Thinking meant feeling, and Liz didn't want to feel anymore, so she just stopped thinking.

"Come on, kid," Hellboy continued as he rubbed her back with his left hand. "You're making this really difficult for me."

"I just…" Liz muttered listlessly. "I wish I could go with you."

"You'll be able to when you become an agent," Hellboy said.

Liz looked up at him. She so badly wanted to let him know the pain she was in. She wanted to tell him exactly what was going through her deeply troubled mind. She wanted to tell him how badly she needed him with her, to just hold her through the night and assure her that everything was going to be okay – that she was going to be okay.

She wanted to tell him about the pencil sharpener that was sitting less than a foot behind him.

She wanted to tell him that she was getting out of the I&O wing tonight, but not through any door.

She wanted to tell him that she would be seeing her family again. Very, very soon.

She wanted to tell him that this would be the last time they saw each other.

She wanted to tell him what an amazing friend he had been to her.

She wanted to tell him that none of what was about to happen was his fault.

But Liz didn't say any of this. She knew that if she did, Hellboy would stay behind. She was tired of being self-centered. She was tired of holding Hellboy back. She was tired of being a burden to everyone. She was tired of missing her family. She was tired of not being in control of her own life; her own destiny.

She was just tired.

Instead of reaching out for help, Liz smiled.

She smiled and met Hellboy's strangely beautiful, kind, yellow eyes for what may have been the last time. Eyes that were meant to be mean and cold, but were soft and gentle.

"Won't be long now," Liz said. "I turn eighteen in about eight months."

.

.

.

Hellboy had left to go to his meeting. Liz wasn't sure how long the meeting was and neither was Hellboy. It was a possibility that he wouldn't have enough time to come say goodbye.

Liz sat there on her mattress, writing her farewell letter in her journal. She didn't want to call the letter what it really was: a suicide note. 'Farewell letter' had a nicer ring to it. It made it easier for her. It made her feel as if she was going on holiday and would come back when she felt rested up.

A knock came at her door and she slapped her journal closed and stuffed it beneath her mattress. Liz couldn't tell the time precisely, but she didn't think it could be Hellboy. It seemed like he only left minutes ago, although she couldn't be sure. For all she knew, he could have left an hour ago.

"Come in," Liz called.

She was confused when Abe popped his head into her room, but then she recalled Hellboy had said something about sending him to check on her.

While Liz liked Abe, they hadn't become very close. He seemed like he liked to stay to himself, and Liz tended to do the same. She had wanted to get to know him better ever since he had come to the Bureau, but he seemed almost more guarded than she was. As far as Liz could tell, he didn't talk to anyone besides Hellboy.

Abe stepped into her room, carrying a small stack of board games. Scrabble, Monopoly and Sorry. He also appeared to have a deck of cards in his pants pocket.

_Oh, god,_ Liz thought. _Is this really how pathetic I am? Hellboy had to get a sitter for me? And he's got fucking Scrabble?_

"I figured I would come and see what you were up to," Abe said as he brought the stack of board games near her mattress, sitting them down on the floor.

Liz rolled her eyes, but forced a little smile. "You don't have to lie. Hellboy told me he was going to send you."

"Ah," Abe said.

Abe remained standing, arms wrapped around his abdomen like he was unsure of what he was supposed to do now. Liz wasn't sure if it was because he had been found out or because he was just naturally awkward. Liz decided it was most likely the latter.

The longer she looked up at him, the harder it was to choke back her laughter. He looked so out of place and uncomfortable that it was almost funny.

"You can sit down, Abe," Liz said, laughing slightly and patting the mattress.

Luckily for her, Abe reluctantly sat down on the mattress with a sizable distance between them. Liz didn't want to risk Abe accidentally touching her and looking into her mind. If he could see what she had planned, that was it.

"You're a really bad liar, by the way," Liz said after a few moments of silence.

"Am I really that unconvincing?" Abe asked, placing his hands on his knees.

"Oh, yeah," Liz said, nodding. "'I figured I would come and see what you were up to?' We don't even talk."

"Well…" Abe said, raising his hand in a shrugging gesture. "It's the most convincing thing I could think of. Hellboy's really worried about you. I promised him I'd check up on you, so…"

"Were the board games your idea or his?" Liz asked.

"His," Abe admitted, large black eyes darting away guiltily.

"That sick son of a bitch…" Liz muttered mostly to herself. "Fucking Scrabble… I can't believe him…"

Abe pushed the stack of board games off to the side with his foot. He had a feeling they wouldn't be needing them.

Abe made a few awkward, jerky movements as if he had something he wanted to say. Liz hadn't actually spoken with him much, but she had been around him enough to read his body language.

"Go ahead," Liz said.

"If you don't mind me asking," Abe said after a pause. "What _has _been going on with you? You don't have to tell me, of course. Nobody around the Bureau seems to know except Hellboy and Trevor."

Liz was quiet for a moment as she thought. Abe wasn't malicious in any way. He seemed almost pure and innocent. He was just a curious… man-fish… person. She figured the secret would be safe with him. Besides, after tonight, it wouldn't even matter if anyone knew. She wouldn't be around to know the difference.

Liz turned her arms over, showing him the faint, mostly healed cuts.

"What are they from?" Abe asked, completely oblivious.

It hadn't occurred to Liz that he probably wouldn't be able to grasp a concept like self-mutilation.

"I've been…" Liz paused, trying to find the right words. "I've been going through a lot."

Abe seemed to still be confused. He tilted his head as he tried to absorb what she had said. His eyes shone with sudden understanding.

"I'm sorry," Abe said, looking away, feeling as if he had trespassed.

"It's not your fault," Liz said, tucking some auburn hair behind her ear. "It's kind of mine. I haven't been handling things the way I should."

Abe was starting to feel a little more comfortable around Liz. He didn't much care for socializing, but mostly because he found people exhausting to interact with. Hellboy was the easiest person to be around, but, so far, Liz was coming in close second.

"What exactly landed you at the Bureau?" Abe asked.

Liz smiled sheepishly. "You don't know anything about me, do you?"

Abe shrugged. "Not really. The Bureau is secretive about a lot of things."

Liz took a deep breath. "Well, I'm pyrokinetic. I can create and control fire. It started when I was ten. I just kind of ignored it and hoped it would go away. I hid it from my parents… then it got out of control a little bit after I turned eleven."

"How did it get out of control?" Abe asked, cocking his head to the side.

"The best way to describe it is that I exploded," Liz said quietly, giving a shrug. "The entire block went up in flames… and so did all the people on it."

Abe was silent as he absorbed this information. His eyes narrowed momentarily, then widened again as the realization dawned on him.

"Your… family?" He asked quietly, as if saying the words too loudly would somehow make things worse.

Liz pressed her lips in a thin line and nodded. Abe wasn't sure how to proceed, feeling awkward and out of place once more. He wished he could go back in time and never ask the question. He was enjoying their interaction up until now. But now all he wanted to do was head back out the door.

"I got sent to the Bureau shortly after," Liz went on, sensing that Abe wasn't going to speak without prompt. "I was so scared. They locked me up in a room just like this one." Her eyes darted around the room briefly. "This might even be the same room, actually… Nobody would tell me where I was, or even talk to me at all. They were all about as scared as I was."

Slowly, gradually, a warm smile spread across her lips as she summoned up an old memory, her eyes shining with the thought of it.

"Then, some big, red guy came barging into my room," Liz continued, a small laugh escaping her lips. "I was kind of scared at first. I'd never seen anyone that looked like him, but he didn't seem threatening. He risked his life just to comfort me. He's probably the only reason I didn't wind up a science experiment."

Abe's interest seemed to be yanked back as he turned his attention to her.

"He saved you as well?" Abe asked.

Liz nodded. "Big time. I heard about how he saved you. Did he really rip you out of a big fish tank?"

Abe had a limited range of emotions that he could display on his amphibious face, but Liz thought she saw him smile.

"Yes," Abe said. "They were about to dissect me."

Liz suddenly felt terrible. She hadn't known that part, but it made sense. Abe wasn't human as far as anyone could tell. Nobody really knew _what _he was. Dissection would possibly answer the question, but there was a possibility that it would also raise more questions. It disgusted Liz that the Bureau would get that hasty in their search.

Liz smiled faintly. "So, we're literally having this conversation all because of Red."

Abe nodded, that strange maybe-smile still on his face. "It seems as such."

Liz was silent for a while as she pondered. She had always known, from the moment she first met him, that Hellboy was one of the good guys, but there were times when she was taken aback by how kind, valiant and pure he was.

He put up this front around most people that he was this cold, unfeeling hard-ass, but Liz was one of the few people that saw Hellboy's true colors. She wasn't entirely sure if Professor Bruttenholm even knew his adopted son as intimately as Liz knew him.

The Hellboy Liz knew was strong in every way a person could be strong, but he also had a very emotional and vulnerable side that very few people had seen. The Hellboy she knew was reminiscent of a small child, craving affection and validation in numerous ways, but he was too damn stubborn to ask for it outright.

Liz had picked up on Hellboy's wants and needs over the years, just as he had with her. In the beginning, Liz sensed that Hellboy wasn't big on physical contact, but she could tell after a while he started to gradually like it more and more, at least with her. She wasn't sure how he felt about physical contact from others.

At first, he would almost recoil from her touch. She felt him become tense if she went in for a hug, or grabbed his hand – especially his right one, since it was much stronger, and she was so fragile – but, surprisingly, he warmed up to it and even started to initiate contact. He would occasionally open his arms for a hug, grab her hand on his own, kiss her on the forehead or top of the head.

He gradually stopped tensing up, then there came a day when Liz felt him relax under her touch.

Liz saw through Hellboy's tough guy façade and often felt a sort of pity for him. He had many friends that cared for him, but she still sensed this sort of loneliness and isolation emanating from him. He never talked in great detail about it, because he didn't much care for talking about emotions, but Liz felt like he thought of himself as freakish and undeserving of love, romantic or otherwise.

Liz always wanted to discuss these things with him and remind him that the only reason he was 'different' was because of his outward appearance, and that he was more human in his heart and mind than anyone she had ever met, but she knew he would just clam up and change the subject.

_I guess I'll have to put it in my farewell letter_, Liz thought grimly.

A knock came at the door and Liz stared at it.

"Come in?" She called, unsure of who it could be.

Hellboy emerged from behind the door and closed it behind him gently.

"Hey, guys," Hellboy said, giving a little wave with his stone hand. "I don't have too long. Drew wants me to be at the station for briefing pretty soon."

Liz nodded, finding it somehow hard to look at him. She felt guilty under his gaze. Hellboy might have been leaving her temporarily, but she was leaving him permanently.

She was leaving everyone permanently.

Abe must have picked up on some tension, because he grabbed the stack of board games and began walking for the door.

"I'll come back in the morning, if you would like?" Abe suggested, looking over his shoulder at Liz.

"Um…" Liz said, biting on her thumbnail. "Yeah, maybe."

Abe nodded hesitantly, unsure how to take her response. He glanced at Hellboy, who gave a small nod as if to say 'yes, come back in the morning.' Abe walked back out into the hallway, most likely heading back to his apartment.

"So," Hellboy said, still standing and crossing his arms over his chest. "Drew thinks it might be two days – three days, tops."

Liz nodded, avoiding his gaze.

"You okay?" He asked, bending slightly, trying to force himself into her field of vision.

"Yeah," She said quickly.

"No, you're not," Hellboy said back.

Hellboy walked in front of her and dropped down to his knees. Putting his left hand under her chin, he gently perked her head up, making her amber eyes meet his yellow ones.

"What's going on?" He asked.

Liz pressed her lips together and felt her eyes sting a little as the tears threatened to flow. She didn't see the point of lying to him – at least not completely.

"I just… I don't want you to leave," She said, her voice straining midsentence. "I know you have to. I just don't want you to is all."

Hellboy took his hand from her chin and slid it up to her cheek. He caressed it gently.

"I really do have to take this case," Hellboy said gently. "None of the other agents are really equipped for it. I'd try to get out of it if I could. You know that."

Liz, in fact, did know that. Hellboy had declined a few missions in the past on Liz's behalf, so long as he wasn't specifically needed.

Liz nodded, a tear breaking free and dripping down her cheek and onto Hellboy's crimson thumb. "I know…"

Hellboy wrapped Liz in a hug, running his fingers through her hair.

"It's gonna be okay, sis," Hellboy cooed. "I'll make it up to you."

Liz knew he meant it.

He would make it up to her in any way he could.

It was just too bad he wouldn't have the opportunity to do it.

**Later that night…**

The Bureau was silent as Liz laid supine on her mattress. Everything was still. She hadn't heard a sound in what she felt like was hours.

She held the pencil sharpener in her fist, resting it on her chest. She stared up at the ceiling, but couldn't actually see it in the almost complete darkness of her room. She closed her eyes, even though it wasn't much different than having them open, and focused on the pencil sharpener in her palm.

She thought of her mom. She thought of her dad. She thought of her brother, Jacob.

She thought of her neighbors.

She thought of everyone that lost their lives because she couldn't control her emotions. Because she didn't reach out for help as soon as her abilities emerged. Didn't reach out before it was too late.

And here she was again. Not reaching out. Suffering alone.

She was scared when she was 10 years old, and she was still scared at 17. She never really stopped being scared.

The only thing that made her life better after the accident - the only thing that made it even remotely worth living - was Hellboy. He had come to her when she was at her weakest. He helped her be strong again. He helped her find her way. Liz doubted she could have made it this far without him.

He helped her realize that the accident was just a chapter in her life. A terrible and tragic one, yes, but just a single chapter in the saga that was yet to be; a saga that could have a happy end, a saga that might just be worth all the pain she had gone through.

Hellboy had made her a soldier, but even soldiers get tired. They cave under pressure. Sometimes, they just want to leave the war and go back home.

But what can a soldier do when they don't have a home to return to? When their only option is to keep fighting when all they want to do is lay down and die?

_I guess they lay down and die_, Liz thought with finality.

Liz took her free hand and felt the pencil sharpener. She felt the little blade resting in the plastic. She scraped one of her nails along the blade's edge, feeling it easily cut through and leave a small sliver of nail hanging.

Liz took a deep breath and got up off the mattress, clutching the pencil sharpener in one hand and putting her free hand on the wall. She felt her way to the bathroom. Her room didn't have any doors, but there was a privacy curtain for the bathroom. She pushed past the curtain and rested her fists on the cool surface of her sink, her heart thumping in her chest.

She closed her eyes and concentrated. She felt the fire flicker around her enclosed fist. After a while, she felt the plastic that encased the blade get soft enough to be pliable and she opened her eyes. She brought her free hand up and opened her fist, the fire barely able to cling to life. She kept it going long enough to free the blade from the plastic, then was plunged back into darkness, the ghost of the fire still burned into her retinas and making blotches of light dance in front of her.

Liz felt a lump in her throat. Her hands were shaking. Tears trailed down her face, and Hellboy wasn't there to dry them. He wasn't there to hold her. He wasn't there to remind her how strong she was.

He wasn't there to tell her to hold on.

Liz didn't bother wiping away her tears as they soaked her face. She just let them fall to the floor, making tiny wet sounds as they pattered on the linoleum.

She closed her eyes. All she could see was Hellboy's face. All she could think of was all the beautiful moments they had shared. She thought of his unwavering kindness. He had been so good to her, even when she probably didn't deserve it.

Liz felt a wave of guilt when the reality really hit her. This was going to absolutely destroy Hellboy. She knew this. It tore her up to think about. She never wanted to bring him pain. She didn't want to bring anyone pain, but especially not Hellboy.

She just felt… worthless. She felt dirty. She felt like she didn't deserve Hellboy. She didn't deserve his friendship, his time, his love. She felt like he might be angry and sad at first, but his life would improve after the initial shock wore off.

Liz felt like she was doing Hellboy, and everyone, a favor.

She closed her eyes and sliced the blade across one of her wrists, feeling some warm blood ooze out and down her elbow.

_Huh_, Liz thought with bitter humor. _Blood sounds a lot like tears when it hits the floor… you couldn't even tell the difference… _

Sniffling, she sliced her other wrist, deeper than the first. She felt an overwhelming amount of pain this time, making her cry out in shock. She didn't think anyone could hear her, but she made herself quiet down just in case.

Liz felt herself sinking to the floor, feeling lightheaded as the blood poured out of her wrists like a tap with a steady drip. She lost consciousness momentarily. When she came to, she way lying in a small pool of blood, the coppery smell making her stomach churn. The side of her head felt sore.

_Must have smacked it on the sink on the way down_, Liz thought faintly.

She couldn't tell if her eyes were open or not. It was too dark to see. She was cold and numb, her whole body feeling limp like it wasn't even there. Like she was just a faint consciousness that was moments away from being nothing at all.

Her final thoughts before she completely lost consciousness were happy ones.

She thought of her father teaching her how to ride a bike without training wheels, and how he comforted her when she fell and scraped her knee. How he would let her ride on his shoulders. How he would push her so high up on the swings that she felt like she was never going to come back down.

She thought of how her mom would let her play with her makeup. How she would cuddle up with her on the porch swing and watch the rain. How they would sing along to the radio on their way to run errands.

She thought of how her and Jacob would play catch in the backyard, how she taught him to read and write.

_How old would Jacob be if I hadn't burned him alive? _

Mostly, Liz thought of Hellboy. Hellboy brought nothing but happy memories. Since the accident, he was the only truly bright spot in her life. He was an angel disguised as a demon.

She thought of all the adventures they went on. All the talks they had. How she felt like he understood her completely – how he spoke her language. All the times they stayed up late watching monster movies and eating junk food. All the times he did everything in his power to restore her smile. How he never gave up on her. How he was the absolute best friend and big brother anyone could ask for.

_I'm going to miss you, Red, _Liz thought. _And I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry…_

_._

**.**

**.**

The next morning, Agatha Fontaine walked down the hall of the I&O wing, a small Styrofoam cup of coffee in her hand that was more cream than coffee. Her horrible brown clogs clacked on the floor and echoed off the walls. She swiped her keycard, punched in the code on the keypad and walked through the door.

Agatha knocked once, quickly, on the inner door and walked in, not waiting for a response. She pushed the rose-tinted shades up on her nose and looked around the tiny room. She didn't see Liz anywhere. She turned her attention to the bathroom, the only other place she could be.

"Elizabeth?" She called toward the closed curtain. "Are you in there?"

Complete silence.

She took a few steps closer to the curtain.

"Are you in the bathroom, Elizabeth?"

Agatha looked at the curtain and noticed that it was stained a dark red at the bottom, as if the substance had been absorbed into the fabric.

"I'm coming in, Elizabeth," Agatha warned.

She threw back the curtain and let out a scream at what she saw. She dropped her coffee in shock, the tan liquid within meeting the crimson, congealed mess that stained the floor.

Agatha ran out of the room so fast that she nearly fell. Her rose-tinted glasses fell off of her face and shattered on the floor.

She screamed for help.


	12. Hospital Stays

Hellboy climbed up from the manhole of the sewer, happy to be breathing fresh air again and happy to see the sun, even though his eyes were still sensitive from being in the dark for so long, forcing him to squint. His duster clung to him in tatters. After he cleared the pockets out, it was getting thrown in the first trash he saw.

He was a little banged up, but he was pleased that the case had a happy ending. It just sucked he had to get beaten to hell and back before discovering what the mutants were really after. It was such a simple fix.

Police Chief Drew Brenan stood nearby with his small squad of officers, armed and at the ready. The town was completely evacuated on this end except for law enforcement, fire brigade and EMS, just in case the situation got out of hand. Luckily, they never had to be called on.

Drew motioned with his hand, signaling his men to keep their distance, and cautiously made his way over to the sewer as Hellboy slid the manhole cover back over top.

"Hey, big guy," Drew said. "How'd it go?"

"Good, good," Hellboy muttered, rubbing his shoulder. "They got their relic back. They had paintings of it all over the walls. It was kinda creepy…"

Hellboy had marched down into the sewers and tried to deal with the mutants in a diplomatic manner. He tried talking to them first, always wanting to leave fighting as the last resort, but they didn't want to talk. They were angry. They went to fighting almost immediately, yelling about how their "Yomji" was stolen from them.

After going a few rounds with them, Hellboy finally got enough information out of them to go on. He told them he would see what he could do. He informed Drew of the situation, Drew called around, and they ended up locating a recently-discovered relic that had been put on display in a museum a few miles away.

Hellboy went back down into the sewers, gave them their damn relic back and they vowed to never bother the surface dwellers so long as the surface dwellers didn't steal from them again.

Hellboy shrugged, muttered "whatever" and went topside.

"Awesome, man," Drew said, getting ready to clap him on the back.

Hellboy held up his great stone hand and took a step back. "I wouldn't touch me if I were you. I just crawled out of a sewer."

Drew laughed and put his hand back down at his side. "Well, yeah, good point. You take care, man. Get back to your hotel and shower."

"Yeah," Hellboy said, turning the other way with his tail low to the ground. "I plan on it."

.

.

.

The shower in his hotel room was, thankfully, fairly large. He had travelled a lot in his career, and sometimes for pleasure, and that was one of the biggest annoyances about travelling: things not being quite large enough for him, especially showers.

He lathered up his hair and sideburns with the shampoo the hotel provided, which was surprisingly of decent quality, and it smelled great despite being more flowery-scented. Hellboy didn't mind. In fact, he often used Liz's Gee, Your Hair Smells Terrific when he ran out of his own shampoo and didn't feel like running to the store. He dared anyone to accuse him of being too feminine. He knew that he exuded masculinity out of every pore, but he wasn't toxic in the slightest about it. He enjoyed "girly" things just as much as "manly" things. He thought it was silly how people were so quick to write things off just because it didn't suit their gender.

Hellboy grabbed the washcloth he had draped over the faucet and deposited some of the hotel body wash, which was also quite flowery. It lathered up very well as he rubbed the cloth together, and he began scrubbing his body with it, starting at his face and working his way down.

Most people wouldn't know it to look at him, but Hellboy was fairly particular about personal hygiene and had been ever since he was a small boy. The Professor had, of course, instilled basic hygiene into him, but Hellboy was almost meticulous about it. He was very meticulous if he was actually dirty.

Which he most definitely was.

He sudsed his tail up with great attention, making sure to get the underside thoroughly soapy. He scrubbed his belly, covering it with translucent bubbles. He didn't have a bellybutton, since he wasn't exactly "born," so he never had to pay particular attention to that area. He just had to make sure to get between his abs.

When washing, Hellboy tended to pay the closest attention to the parts of him that set him apart from humanity, such as his tail, his horn stumps, his hooves and his right hand. He guessed it was probably because, as a boy, he had grown to hate these parts of himself. He subconsciously viewed them as unclean.

If he was honest with himself, he still felt this way, but he didn't like to admit it or dwell on it.

His mind began to wander as he knelt down to scrub between his hooves, his loose hair clinging to his face, back and chest in wet clumps. He revisited that day, so many years ago, when Archie laughed at him.

It was the first time Hellboy really noticed how different he was. Archie didn't really mean to laugh _at _Hellboy; he was just laughing at his attempt to wear a hat with his horns in the way.

It was just a small thing to Archie, but for Hellboy, it was life changing. It was a huge turning point in his life. He began to notice all the little and big ways he was different from those around him. It was the definitive moment in his life where he felt completely different, and the feeling never completely went away.

Hellboy, at the age of 4, found a hacksaw and cut his horns off for the first time. He remembered entertaining the idea of taking his tail off as well, but, luckily, decided it would be much too painful.

He started to let his horns grow back for a while after that. Then, one night when he ran away from the Bureau, he happened upon a sort of circus. He saw what he assumed was an older version of himself in a funhouse mirror. He had red skin, yellow eyes and a stone right hand.

And he looked mean. He looked downright evil.

It had scared Hellboy so damn bad, seeing that vision of his future self, that he started keeping his horns ground down to stumps again. He never let them grow very long. He wanted to separate himself from that reflection; from that alternate version of himself.

Hellboy stood under the stream of scalding-hot water, letting all the suds run off his body and down the drain. Once he deemed himself clean enough, he turned the taps off and reached an arm through the curtain, feeling around for his towel on the counter.

He found it and, still standing in the shower as not to let the water run off onto the floor, he patted himself dry. He wrapped the towel around his waist and tucked it in place, walking back out into the main area of the hotel room, when a knock came at the door.

Hellboy made a move to at least find a pair of shorts to slip on, assuming nobody wanted to see a huge, red half-demon answer the door in nothing but an old hotel towel, but the person on the other side of the door called to him.

"Hellboy?" The female voice called, followed by a series of quick, urgent knocks. "Are you in there?"

Hellboy walked over to the door and looked through the peephole. It was one of the agents at the Bureau, Agent Abigail Ferrah. She appeared to be nervous.

Making sure all of his important parts were good and covered, Hellboy opened the door just a crack, enough for him to look through and talk to her easier.

"What's going on, Abby?" Hellboy asked.

"They sent me to come get you," Abby said urgently. "It's bad."

Hellboy felt his heart drop. "W-what happened?"

"It's Liz," Abby said, her eyes becoming moist and voice becoming strained. Her voice dropped down to a whisper. "She… she tried to commit suicide last night. She's comatose in the hospital."

Hellboy squeezed the door handle so hard that he bent it slightly. For a fraction of a second, he was unable to speak and stood there in stupid, stunned silence.

"I'll be down," Hellboy said quickly, closing the door.

He dropped his towel on the floor, slipped on a pair of shorts and threw everything haphazardly back into his overnight bag. He threw the bag over his shoulder and ran out into the hall, zipping and buttoning his shorts up on his way down the hall, getting odd looks from other hotel patrons that he didn't acknowledge in the slightest.

Normally, he would have tidied up his hotel room before leaving, but etiquette was the very last thing on his mind. He ran past the front desk and chucked his keycard in their general direction, darting for the door and nearly running people over in the process.

Hellboy made it outside and got into the front seat next to Abby, practically slamming the door shut in his frenzy. Abby took off and headed to Fairfield Urgent Care Center.

Hellboy had held it together for the most part in the car, but as they neared the hospital, he felt his composure slipping. Abby had reached over to rest her hand on his a few times, and he didn't stop her. He felt like she was doing it for her own benefit as well as his.

Abby seemed more outwardly troubled than Hellboy, sobbing almost uncontrollably behind the wheel, and Hellboy offered to take over twice, but she dismissed him, stating that she didn't want to take the time to pull over and switch. It made sense and Hellboy knew he wouldn't be able to resist the urge to speed the whole way there, so it really was for the best.

They pulled into the parking lot and Abby killed the ignition, pocketing the key. Hellboy left his bag in the backseat of the car. He had managed to slip a shirt on while Abby drove, somehow feeling like they might have an issue with a shirtless demon barging in.

Abby led Hellboy to the room where Liz was being kept. When they rounded the corner, Abby ventured in a few steps, but didn't get very close to Liz's bed. Hellboy, on the other hand, couldn't bring himself to walk through the door right away. He was frozen to the spot.

Liz was lying on her back, eyes closed, completely still. What little color her skin had had was gone, now almost as pale and lifeless as the white hospital sheets that lined the bed. Her arms were laid out by her sides. She had an IV jabbed into the top of her small, delicate hand and a clear oxygen mask strapped to her face that had condensation from her breath building on the inside.

Hellboy was about to ask Abby how Liz had done it, but once he saw her wrists bandaged up with gauze, some dried blood seeping from underneath, he felt like he had found the answer. He forgot to breathe for what seemed like minutes.

Abby looked over her shoulder at Hellboy. Tears shone in her eyes. "Do you… want some time alone?"

Remembering to breathe, he sucked in a slow lungful of air and exhaled it just as slowly. "Yeah, if you don't mind…"

Abby nodded, a tear crashing to the floor. Hellboy took a step to the side to give her room to walk out. Abby hesitated next to him, giving him an unreadable look. She appeared to have something to say, but never did. Instead, she brought a hand up to his broad shoulder and patted him. She disappeared out of the room, her footsteps gradually receding until they could be heard no longer.

Hellboy stared at Liz from the doorway, feeling his heart breaking into a million pieces. He swallowed, though the lump in his throat made it difficult and he walked up to her bedside. There was a chair next to the bed, but he chose to stand, looking down at her relaxed features.

Seeing her lying on the pure, white sheets, he couldn't help but think of the day he took her out for hot chocolate and she made a snow angel. She looked similar to how she did that day… except her eyes weren't open for the sun to make them glow.

Hellboy wished her eyes would open.

Everything became blurry as tears flooded his vision. He brought his left hand up to cover his eyes and left it there as he did his best to hold on to his composure. His breathing was shaky and uneven.

Hellboy wished he could go back in time. He wished he would have stayed with Liz, or had somebody keep watch over her while he was away, but there was no way he could have known that this was going to happen. He knew Liz wasn't mentally healthy, but she hadn't been since losing her family, and he had no way of knowing how deep her mental illness ran unless she kept him updated…

Or unless he had Abe look into her head for him.

_No_, he decided. _That would be a major invasion of privacy…_

He knew it wasn't a terrible idea, in theory, but it would be if put into practice. He wouldn't want to make her feel like she didn't have a choice. He started thinking that maybe he could get her to agree to it if he made it so that she would get free roam again.

He took his hand away from his golden eyes, the reality setting in. Liz was almost certainly going to be sent away if she ever came out of her coma. Hellboy wouldn't be able to protect her anymore. She would be on her own. It would be out of his hands. Even if he could convince Trevor to keep her at the Bureau, Hellboy wasn't really sure if he wanted to. Liz clearly needed help that the Bureau wasn't equipped to give – Hellboy saw that now. It was a little too late, but he saw it crystal clear.

Hellboy decided that it was time for him to stop being selfish with Liz's well-being. If she was going to be sent away, that's just the way it went.

_Even if we never see each other again, _Hellboy thought, his eyes stinging with fresh tears.

.

.

.

For the next 3 days, Hellboy barely left Liz's bedside. He would leave to go to the bathroom, get something to eat in the hospital cafeteria, to go outside and smoke, but that was it. Just short bursts that usually didn't last more than 10 minutes.

Nobody at the Bureau contacted him for anything work-related. He didn't say anything about not working until there was an update with Liz, whether that update was good or bad, and he didn't have to say it. Everyone just knew that he was not to be disturbed.

The only time he was disturbed by anyone was when Liz's suicide note was discovered the day after she arrived at the hospital. One of the agents, whom Hellboy had never met, was sent to drop it off to him.

"It's addressed to you," the agent had said simply as he handed him the note and walked back out of the room.

Hellboy looked down at the paper, his eyes sore from the constant crying, and reluctantly began to read.

_Red,_

_I'm sorry. This isn't your fault. I know you're going to blame yourself, but you shouldn't. I blame myself enough for the both of us._

_I miss my parents. I miss my brother. I miss my old life. Knowing that I can't go back to it all because of my stupid actions has left me empty. Knowing that my family, and all of those people, died horribly has left me with an overwhelming sense of guilt._

_I'm tired of running from the guilt. I'm tired of being locked up in this little room. I'm tired of the days dragging by and nothing ever changing or getting better. I'm tired of all of these pills. I'm tired of not having control over my own life._

_I just wanted to let you know that my time with you has been amazing. You have the purest heart of anyone I've ever met. You came to me in my time of need and you never left. Your friendship was more than I ever deserved, and I'm so proud to have called you my big brother for the last 7 years._

_Meeting you has been the only good thing to come from the accident. I wish we could have met under different circumstances. In another life, I suppose._

_Yours always, _

_Liz_

Hellboy had folded the note into a small square and put it in his wallet. His emotions were so mixed up that he almost ripped it up and threw it away, but ultimately decided to hang onto it. In case Liz never woke up. He didn't want the last thing he received from her to be a suicide note, but he couldn't bring himself to get rid of it.

After reading the note for the first time, Hellboy had been walking past the gift shop on his way out the door for a cigarette when he saw a stuffed brown bear with buttons for eyes sitting on a high shelf. He bought it before he went outside and tucked it under his arm while he smoked.

He had sat it on Liz's bedside table and told her that it was Sebastian's brother.

Now Hellboy sat there next to Liz's bed. He had been waiting for 3 long days without much of a change. The doctors and nurses couldn't tell him whether or not she was going to pull through. He had expected as much when they had told him how long she had probably been lying in the bathroom, how much blood she lost, how deeply she had cut herself and how hard she hit her head when she lost consciousness.

There was one particularly sweet nurse who comforted him every chance she got, and he appreciated that, even through the haze of his grief and despair. The embroidered name on her scrubs said 'Natalie.'

She would come in to change Liz's catheter or swap out her bed linen, and she would often talk sweetly to Liz with her southern drawl, but be glancing over at Hellboy as she did so.

Natalie would smile down at Liz and say things like, "You can't sleep forever, girl. Your boyfriend's butt's gonna get sore before too long."

Hellboy would usually just smile or chuckle in response, but never said anything until that 3rd day, when she directed her teasing comments at Hellboy instead of Liz.

Natalie cleaned Liz's mouth out with a swab – the closest thing to actually brushing that could be done to an unconscious person – and looked at Hellboy.

"So, have you tried to kiss your Sleeping Beauty to wake her up yet?" Natalie asked with a mischievous smile.

Hellboy smiled faintly and looked at her somewhat bashfully. "Actually, ma'am, she's not my girlfriend."

"Oh?" Natalie laughed. "Could'a fooled me, the way you never leave her side. What is she to you?"

"Sister," Hellboy said, cupping his hands together in his lap.

Natalie paused as she finished cleaning Liz's mouth .

"Different daddy?" She inquired cautiously.

"No, we have the same dad," Hellboy said.

He could see the confusion in her face and he couldn't help but chuckle a little.

"We're not actually related," Hellboy continued. "I was adopted, then she was adopted by my dad. Sort of. It's kind of confusing. Long story."

Natalie nodded and smiled. "Well, I can tell you really care for her. I've been a nurse for a long time, and I don't think I've ever seen anyone stay by someone's side the way you're staying by hers. It's the cutest damn thing."

Hellboy smiled at her. She walked over to him and patted his shoulder, her hand dwelling there for a few seconds as she looked down at him.

"Just think positive thoughts, sugar," She said.

Hellboy looked over at Liz as the nurse walked out to make her rounds.

_Just think positive thoughts, _Hellboy thought before he slumped down in the chair and fell asleep.

.

.

.

Hellboy had been asleep for 20 minutes when he awoke to a voice. He couldn't make sense of what it was saying through his sleep-addled mind. He thought maybe he was dreaming that he heard it until the voice started up again.

"Red?" It said, quiet and frail.

Hellboy's eyes snapped open and he cocked his head up from its slumped position. He saw Liz laying with her eyes open, looking over at him. He thought for a moment that he was imagining it, but it felt very real.

"Liz?" He asked.

"Where am I?" She asked, throat sounding dry.

"The hospital," He said, getting up from the chair, his whole damn spine cracking and popping as he suddenly stood upright. He looked down at Liz, right into her eyes and lightly put his left hand on her right.

She looked around the room, mostly with her eyes. Her neck seemed too weak to allow her head to move much. She seemed confused.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, I…" She inhaled deeply. "I'm alive?"

Hellboy felt a little bit of anger rising in his chest as the reality of the situation came rushing back to him. He wanted to say something mean, but he thought better of it. He was just happy she was alive, even through the anger. He needed to be patient with her. He needed to not be angry at her, at least not right now. She wasn't well.

"Yeah," Hellboy said, taking his left hand and caressing the parts of her face that weren't covered by the oxygen mask. "Thankfully."

Liz closed her eyes as his surprisingly soft hand stroked her face.

"Does the Professor know?" She asked, eyes still closed, the grey bags underneath them becoming more visible.

"He's been away for a little while now," Hellboy said as he took his hand away from her face and sat back down in the chair. "We've been trying to reach him, but nobody's sure exactly where he's at. So, as far as I know, no, he doesn't know."

"Does he have to know?" She asked, eyes slowly coming back open.

Hellboy's expression became dead-serious, almost grave, as he looked at her. Once again, he had to fight with his anger.

"Yeah, Liz, he does."

Liz was quiet as she let this sink in. She was hoping they could sweep this incident under the rug and life could go on as normal, but if the Professor knew about Liz trying to commit suicide, there was no way in hell that life was going to go on as normal.

She nodded to let Hellboy know that she understood. There was a silent pause, save for the common noises one might hear at a hospital, that stretched on for a few moments.

"Who's the new guy?" Liz asked, looking at the stuffed bear on the nightstand, trying to lighten the mood.

"I dunno," Hellboy said, shrugging. "Said he was Sebastian's brother, but wouldn't tell me his name."

Liz smiled weakly as she regarded the bear, the wheels in her head turning.

"He told me his name's Arthur," Liz said, looking back up at Hellboy.

Hellboy stared at the stuffed bear with mock anger. "Why'd he tell you his name but not me?"

Liz couldn't hold back her smile from beneath her oxygen mask. "He said he doesn't like you. He thinks you're stupid."

"Oh, a wise guy," Hellboy said, shaking his great stone fist at the bear, newly-dubbed Arthur.

Liz laughed, which attracted the attention of Natalie, the nurse from earlier, who was walking back down the hall. She lurched into Liz's room, eyes wide.

"When did she wake up?!" Natalie asked in an excited whisper.

"A little while ago," Hellboy said.

"Well, damn, son," Natalie said as she walked over to Liz. "You should'a told someone."

Natalie pressed a button on the wall. Hellboy assumed it was to summon more nurses and doctors.

"Hey, sweet girl," Natalie said to Liz warmly as she pulled a small flashlight out of her pocket and shone it in her eyes to check her pupils. "I'm Natalie. I've been helping watch over you for the last three days, but not nearly as well as your brother here."

Liz smiled sheepishly. "Has he been watching me that closely?"

Natalie put the little light back in her pocket. "Girl, I ain't ever seen a man watch someone like he watched you - hell, I've never seen a husband watch his _wife _the way he's watched you. I don't think he's left the hospital grounds once since ya got here."

Liz looked over at Hellboy warmly as Natalie slowly raised the bed, putting Liz in a sitting position. Natalie took her stethoscope and slid the bell of it up the back of Liz's shirt.

"Take a deep breath for me, baby girl," Natalie prompted.

Liz did the best she could, still feeling too weak to do much of anything. She kept her gaze fixed on Hellboy, who was also keeping his gaze fixed on her.

A woman who appeared to be a doctor entered the room, with what Hellboy assumed were nurses, two male and one female, in tow. Hellboy put up his left hand to his mouth and made a 'V' with his middle and index finger, then pulled his hand out straight in front of his face, silently telling Liz that he was going to go outside and smoke. He didn't like people watching him work, so he was going to give the doctors and nurses their space while he went outside and collected his thoughts.

He found a secluded spot outside, around back of the hospital, and put his back against the brick wall. He pulled out a cigarette and his Zippo. He didn't light the cigarette right away, instead letting it rest between his lips.

He looked up at the darkening sky and took a deep breath. The stars were starting to appear. The moon was a sliver of a waning crescent, and it glowed a brilliant white.

Hellboy lit the cigarette as he tried to zero in on the emotion he was feeling. He decided he was more scared than anything else. The possibility of Liz being sent away wasn't a possibility at this point – it was inevitable. It was going to happen, and Hellboy had made peace with that. He had felt it coming ever since he found out about the cutting.

_I should have told Trevor to send her away as soon as I saw those damn cuts, _Hellboy berated himself as he took a drag off of his Chesterfield. _Stupid, stupid, stupid…_

The part he hadn't made peace with was how long Liz was going to be away for, and would he be able to visit? Would she be okay without him there to protect her? Would he even be able to contact her at all, through phone or mail?

He knew it had to happen. He knew Liz needed help. He wasn't going to put it off anymore. In fact, he vowed to push for it. He was done with being selfish.

Being locked up in the Bureau wasn't doing her any good. It was probably making things worse. Sure, she had a visiting therapist, but it seemed that all Agatha really did was throw medication after medication at her, and they were in too deep now to bother trying out a new visiting therapist - way too deep.

Hellboy could protect Liz from anything in the past, but now that the threat was coming from inside her head, he felt powerless.

He took a drag off of his Chesterfield and blew the smoke out of his nose.

_It's gonna be real awkward explaining this to Trevor, _Hellboy thought as he gazed up at the night sky.


	13. I'll Be Seeing You

Liz stared out of the van window, clutching her book bag to her chest. There was a storm building, the clouds off in the distance quickly darkening and pulsing with lightning. No rain fell, but it was imminent. She could smell ozone seeping in through the open passenger window, her hair being pulled this way and that by the breeze as Hellboy drove them down the highway.

She was having a hard time looking at Hellboy, or even really talking to him. She had been silent nearly the entire 2-hour drive. Hellboy hadn't been very talkative, either. He tried, it was just… hard. It was made even harder when he would ask a question or make a comment about something and Liz would just shrug or give a one-word answers, which was the way she usually talked to everyone else besides him. He had given up on talking pretty early on into the drive, flipping the radio on.

They were moments away from saying goodbye. Neither was certain for how long. Hellboy was saddened, but he was making himself stay positive and see the good in the situation. Liz, on the other hand, seemed angry and resentful, maybe even a little scared.

Hellboy understood her concerns, but wished she would just talk to him. It was tearing him apart, knowing that this was going to be their last face-to-face interaction for a while.

In his peripheral vision, Hellboy saw Liz slowly turn her head away from the window and look at him.

"Can we get pancakes before I go?" She asked.

Hellboy looked over at her and smiled, happy to actually hear her voice.

"Yeah, we got time," Hellboy said, turning his attention back to the road. "I've been to this airport a few times. They have this little cafeteria that makes pretty decent pancakes."

"Cool…" Liz said quietly.

Hellboy, sensing her anxiety, took his stone hand off the wheel and carefully sat it on top of her thigh.

"It's gonna be fine, Liz," Hellboy said, giving her a little smile. "You'll see."

"That's easy for you to say," Liz said, a little snarkily. "You're not the one getting shipped off to a fucking nuthouse."

"It's not a nuthouse," Hellboy said, tapping the index finger of his flesh hand on the steering wheel. "It's a psychiatric hospital."

Liz shrugged, still hugging her book bag close to her chest. "Same fucking thing."

"It's where people who are sick go to get better," Hellboy said. "You need to get better."

She looked away, back out the window.

"_I _need you to get better," Hellboy said, giving the tiniest squeeze he could manage to her thigh, always somewhat worried that he would forget just how much strength that arcane hand possessed.

Liz was still and silent for a moment, but she eventually placed a small, dainty hand on top of his massive stone one.

They pulled into the airport parking lot. Hellboy killed the engine and stuffed the key into his pocket. He got out and walked around to the passenger side once he saw that Liz was hesitating. He opened her door and stooped down until their faces were inches apart.

"You gonna come eat some pancakes with me, or am I gonna have to carry you?" He teased.

She tried to keep a straight face, but the corners of her mouth tugged upward slightly as she met his gaze.

"Neither," She said.

Liz slipped out of the van and past Hellboy, dropping her book bag on the concrete. She took off in a mad dash, laughing loudly. Hellboy tore off after her, a big smile spreading across his crimson face. He easily caught up with her and picked her up off the ground with no effort.

Liz squealed with giddiness, kicking her legs around. Hellboy dug his flesh hand into her armpit, causing her to scream with laughter.

Hellboy went back over to the van, closing the passenger door and scooping up Liz's book bag, looping the strap over his right arm and tucking Liz to his body with his left. He wrapped both of his arms back around her as he walked toward the airport entrance.

"I'll walk, I'll walk," Liz begged, laughing so hard she was crying. "Just put me down."

"I don't believe you," Hellboy said, digging his left hand back into her armpit.

"Noooo-ooo!" Liz cried out with a huge smile on her face. "Stop!"

Hellboy gently put her back down, both of them still smiling broadly. Liz's eyeliner was running slightly because of her tears. Hellboy took his left hand and tilted her head upward. He carefully wiped the black smudges from under her eyes.

"You're actually good for something," Liz teased, sides hurting from laughing.

They walked into the airport, Hellboy attracting a lot of immediate attention. It was surprising that he didn't get stopped by security right off the bat, which seemed to happen most times he went to an airport.

He led Liz to the cafeteria and gave her some time to look at the menu. They both decided on strawberry banana pancakes and orange juice. After their food was ready, they took their plates and cups out to a secluded table in the back of the cafeteria.

Hellboy sat Liz's bag under the table and dug right in, dumping a disgusting amount of maple syrup over top his stack of pancakes and immediately shoveling an enormous bite into his mouth. Liz, however, just stabbed at her pancakes with her fork and hadn't added any syrup.

Hellboy watched her for a while and swallowed. "I'll come visit when I can."

"Which will be never," Liz moped. "I'm going all the way to California."

"I can always hop on a plane," Hellboy said. "It would take maybe… what? Five hours?"

Liz scoffed. "With your schedule the way it is, I don't see that happening."

"I can pull some strings," Hellboy said.

"There's a chance I might not be able to take visitors at all," Liz reminded him. "They need to psychologically evaluate me before they decide whether or not visitors are a good idea."

"True," Hellboy said, nodding. "You have the Bureau's number, address and my personal extension, though. We'll be in touch. I'll write and call every chance I get. I'll send you care packages, too. After I find out what is and isn't allowed, I mean."

Liz propped her elbow up on the table and put the side of her face in her palm, dropping the fork on the plate with a clatter, her frown deepening.

Hellboy, trying to raise her spirits as much as he could, got a mischievous smile on his face; one that Liz knew all too well. He leaned forward and put the palm of his left hand over her forehead.

"Liz, are you not feeling well?" He said with mock concern. "You must have a fever. You forgot how to put syrup on your pancakes. Here, I'll help!"

He grabbed the bottle off of the table and flipped the cap up, getting ready to turn it upside down over Liz's pancakes. She grabbed the bottle and kept it upright, not being able to hold back a smile.

"You want to eat your pancakes dry?" Hellboy asked with feigned shock.

"No," Liz said, laughing. "I don't want you putting the syrup on. You add waaay too much."

"Well, you'd better add it before I do it for ya," Hellboy said, shoving the bottle toward her.

Liz took the bottle and poured a completely reasonable amount of syrup on her pancakes. She started taking a few bites, gradually sinking back down into her sulking mood.

Hellboy took another bite of his pancakes. His were nearly gone and she was only just starting on hers. He studied her face, swallowed his syrupy mess and sighed.

"What can I do to get you to smile, kid?" He asked, putting his fork down and leaning back in his chair.

"Run away with me," Liz mumbled.

"Realistically?"

"Convince Trevor to let me come back to the Bureau?"

Hellboy sighed and folded his hands over his stomach. "That ain't gonna happen, and I'll tell ya why… Trevor's not the only one that pushed for this to happen. This was mostly my idea."

Hurt flashed in Liz's soft, amber eyes as she looked across the table at Hellboy.

"You need help, Liz," Hellboy continued. "So, if you want someone to be mad at, I'm your guy. And if you want someone to convince Trevor to let you stay, well, tough, 'cuz it ain't happening. You need this."

In the span of less than a minute, Liz felt hurt, angry, sad, then accepting. She knew Hellboy had her best interest at heart. She knew that his "tough love" mentality was coming from nothing but the latter: love.

"But…" Liz started weakly, averting her gaze for a moment. "What if we don't see each other again?"

"As long as you get well, there's no reason we wouldn't see each other again," Hellboy shrugged. "I'm not encouraging you to rush your recovery or fake getting better by saying that, by the way. I'm encouraging you to be open to the treatments and cooperate with the staff."

Liz leaned back in her chair and brooded, some of her hair spilling over to cover half of her face. She avoided Hellboy's gaze.

"Liz," Hellboy warned, leaning over the table to try to make her look at him. "I'm serious. No tough girl attitude with these guys. They're trying to help."

Liz rolled her eyes and turned sideways in her chair, facing the wall. Hellboy stood and leaned over the table, putting his left hand over hers.

"_We're _trying to help, too," Hellboy went on. "You might not see it now, but Trevor and I are doing this because we _love _you, Liz. Anything him or I have done that you didn't like has been out of love."

Liz ripped her hand out from under his hand and stood, crossing her arms. Hellboy came around the table and wrapped his arms around her from behind, causing her to stiffen and attempt to shrug him off, but he easily kept her contained. After a few seconds, her breathing became labored, accented by small gasps, her shoulders heaving.

"Hey, come on, now," Hellboy cooed as he held her close. "It's gonna be all right."

Liz turned around in his arms and braced her arms against his chest on either side of her, balling her hands up into fists. Hellboy scooped her up and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist. He bounced her very gently.

"Baby girl, come on," He cooed.

He held her for a few minutes and she gradually calmed down enough to where he felt okay putting her back on the ground. He kept his left hand on her shoulder and looked up at a nearby clock.

"Your chaperone should be almost at the terminal by now," Hellboy said.

Liz nodded, wiping her cheeks off with the tips of her fingers. Hellboy bent over and grabbed Liz's bag, looping it back over his shoulder. He held out his left hand and she took a deep breath, grabbing it with her right. He gave her hand a small squeeze and began leading the way to the terminal.

Hellboy scanned over his surroundings. Thankfully, the airport wasn't very busy, so picking Liz's chaperone out of the sparse crowd would be simple. She had told Trevor over the phone that she would be wearing a purple bandana tied around her wrist so that she'd be easier to identify.

"That's her," Hellboy said, pointing with his great stone hand.

"How do you know?" Liz asked.

"The bandana," Hellboy explained as he led Liz over to her.

As the woman caught sight of Hellboy, her eyes widened momentarily. Hellboy had hoped Trevor would have given a description of him so that there would be no surprises. Maybe he had and the person he had on the other end of the phone didn't pass the message along or didn't take it seriously. Maybe they had passed the message along and it wasn't enough to prepare them. Either way, the woman looked almost terrified for that split second.

Hellboy gave a small wave, but he imagined it probably did more harm than good since his only free hand to wave with was his stone hand. He stopped about 10 feet away from the woman, still holding Liz's hand.

"Are you Kaylee?" Hellboy asked.

The woman stared back, seeming unsure on whether or not she should answer.

"With the Los Angeles Behavioral Hospital?" Hellboy went on.

"Y-yes," Kaylee said, reaching a trembling hand into her pocket. "Is this Elizabeth Sherman?"

"Yep, sure is," Hellboy said, nodding and trying to smile through his discomfort.

Kaylee pulled her ID out of her pocket and took a few steps closer to Hellboy so he could read it, proving she was who she claimed to be. Hellboy nodded his approval after looking her ID over and reluctantly let go of Liz's hand. Liz turned to face him, a bittersweet expression on her face. Hellboy extended her bag out to her and she reluctantly took it, looping it through her arms.

Unsure of what to say, Hellboy pressed his lips in a thin line and gave her a nod. Liz looked away and nodded in return. She walked over to Kaylee, who put a hand around her forearm and began guiding her away toward the line.

Hellboy, wanting to make sure he saw her actually board the plane, watched as Liz and Kaylee walked away to get in line. They were nearly in line when Liz suddenly tore away from Kaylee and sprinted back to Hellboy, dropping her book bag on the ground. Kaylee scooped it up, watching Liz in confusion.

Liz bounded up to him and literally threw herself into his arms. He caught her with ease, but was taken off guard. He cupped his hands under her butt to support her and she sobbed into his neck.

"I don't want to leave without you," She sobbed out, hardly intelligible. "I'm scared."

The fear and sadness in her voice nearly broke Hellboy. He felt like he had been punched in the gut. Closing his eyes so that it would be easier to ignore the people staring at them, he took his left hand from her butt and ran his fingers through her long, auburn hair.

"Don't be scared, sis," Hellboy whispered to her. "I'm just a phone call away. I'll pull you out of there if you need to be. Just promise me you'll give it a chance."

Liz took a gulp of air and nodded into his neck. "I promise…"

"Okay," Hellboy said, squeezing her gently. "Be good, okay?"

Liz pulled back and kissed him on the lower part of his cheek, the corner of her lips touching the corner of his.

"I will," She said, bringing a hand up to wipe some tears away. "I love you."

"I love you, too, sis," Hellboy said warmly.

He didn't let go of her, not until she tried to get out of his arms herself. He didn't want to rush Liz along too quickly, but was also mindful of the plane slowly being boarded. If she cut it too closely, he would have carried her to the plane himself. He didn't want to impede progress any more than he already had.

Liz wiggled in his arms and he let her feet touch the floor, taking his arms away slowly.

Liz turned around and went back to Kaylee. Kaylee slung the book bag over her own shoulder and led Liz up to the line. Hellboy watched until they started to disappear around the corner, Liz giving him a final wave.

Hellboy waved back.

That was the last time he saw her for 8 months.


	14. Phone Calls

It had been tough, being away from each other for the better part of a year. Hellboy and Liz both silently wondered to themselves on several occasions how they managed to go through life without the other for as long as they did, before they even knew each other.

On that fateful day back in 1973 when Liz was brought to the Bureau, they both suddenly felt like something had been missing in their lives upon that first meeting, but they hadn't been aware of it. The two of them seemed to just… fit. It was like finding a missing piece to a puzzle.

Then, once Liz was released from I&O, it was confirmed in both of their minds: this was meant to be. They instantly became the best of friends. They were inseparable, outside of Hellboy leaving on missions, of course. When he was home, they went everywhere together.

Not having her around the Bureau after so many years was difficult for Hellboy, but he was managing. They couldn't talk on the phone very often or for very long, but when Liz was able to call, it felt like a small weight was lifted off of his shoulders. It felt nice to hear her voice, even if it only lasted for a few minutes at a time.

There were a few instances when Hellboy was gone when Liz had called him. She usually left a brief message on his answering machine, but he always felt terrible upon realizing that he wasn't there to talk to her.

They talked through letters more frequently than they did over the phone. A small stack of letters had accumulated on Hellboy's nightstand, and he often found himself re-reading over them if he started missing Liz a little too much.

The months dragged on. Liz seemed to be indifferent to the Los Angeles Behavioral Hospital at first, but as time went on, she gradually began talking positively about it. She sounded better over the phone and her letters became more optimistic as time went on.

She told Hellboy about the friends she had made. She talked about the staff, who she said were all pretty nice. They did activities and group therapy. Liz said the group therapy was difficult, but it seemed to be helping after she got past the awkwardness of it. She was learning to open up and not be quite so guarded.

It seemed like in nearly every phone call or letter, Liz mentioned a new item she had made for Hellboy in arts and crafts. A knit blanket, a knit scarf, an ashtray, a fruit bowl, a candle holder, a coffee mug, a snow globe in a Mason jar and several paintings.

When Christmas came around, Liz was allowed to talk on the phone for a little longer than usual. Hellboy had sent her a Walkman with a few new albums, and plenty of extra batteries for Christmas. It just so happened to arrive the day before Christmas, and she was allowed to open it the following day after all of the packages had been checked.

She sang his praises over the phone, stating how much she missed music – at least 'real' music. They usually had a radio playing in the activity room, but it was mostly garbage music. Liz wondered why they would play gospel in a place where people were already in a fragile state of mind.

Hellboy had sent her the trifecta of albums: AC/DC, The Clash and Kiss. She got to listen to them during free hour.

Hellboy filled her in, during their Christmas morning phone call, how him and some of the other agents had gotten Abe drunk at the office Christmas party the previous night.

He also informed her, in hushed tones, how Faith was up his ass the entire night, even before she had touched a drop of alcohol. With each drink she had, it only got worse. Once she was intoxicated, she became very bold. She kept trying to show him her tits, right there in front of everyone. She kept pulling her dress up around her waist, drunkenly asking if he wanted to fuck, and, luckily she decided to at least wear a thong that day.

There weren't too many women that worked at the Bureau, so she was the center of attention, to say the least. She had a few men trying to grab her, and Hellboy begrudgingly stepped in to put them in their place. He didn't want anything to do with her, and she was making a fool of herself, but that didn't give people the right to touch her if she didn't want them to. He felt like he had to protect her, even if she did get on his damn nerves.

Faith eventually passed out at a table, and Hellboy noticed a few men circling nearby like vultures. Rolling his eyes and heaving a great sigh, he walked over to her and carefully picked her up, carrying her bridal style. The men who had been eyeing her and planning on doing who-knows-what to her all yelled after him as he exited the party.

The hallway was completely deserted. Anyone who was at HQ that day was at the party. He could hear the music thumping dully. He debated on where to put Faith so that she was out of harm's way. If she hadn't made it so obvious what she wanted from Hellboy, he would have taken her to his apartment to rest, but he knew how that would play out. He would most likely wake up to her sucking him off or something.

Hellboy looked down at her in his arms and noticed that her dress was hiked up, exposing her lower half. He reached down and carefully pulled the material to cover her, thankful nobody was around to see it.

He decided to put her in one of the empty apartments. He left her a bottle of water and some ibuprofen on the nightstand in case she had a hangover. He took her heels off and sat them nearby, worried that she might cut herself on the sharp edges in her sleep. He tucked her in and locked the door from the inside for good measure, on the off chance one of the guys from the party went looking for her, and walked back out to the party.

Since Hellboy had been gone for a good 20 minutes or so, almost everyone assumed him and Faith had fucked. He didn't confirm or deny it, knowing that it would be a waste of breath. He knew they had already decided what had happened, so he didn't even comment. He spent the rest of the party hanging out with Abe and a few other agents, who all occupied themselves in making sure Abe didn't break anything or hurt himself.

If it wasn't for Faith acting up, it would have been a good time.

Hellboy told Liz that, even though she wasn't legally able to drink, it would have been much better if she could have been there at the Christmas party. Maybe she could have helped deter Faith from dry humping him and trying to grab his cock through his pants. She might have been able to keep Abe from climbing on top of practically every table and chair in sight and nearly breaking his neck on 3 different occasions.

Hellboy had talked about flying over and visiting for a weekend on a few occasions, but Liz wasn't cleared for visitor access for most of her stay at the behavioral hospital. While she was improving tremendously, her main therapist, Dr. Eden Shore, wasn't sure company would be good for her.

By the time Liz was approved for visitors, Hellboy was so busy with work that he hardly had time to even write back to her. He apologized to her about it, but she had told him that it was okay. She seemed sincere. The old Liz would have taken it hard and most likely cried. She happily informed him that she had plenty of other things to keep her busy and carried on with the conversation without missing a beat. It was a day and night difference.

Hellboy had been entering his apartment, just getting back from a week-long mission in Montana, when his phone rang. He practically ran over to it, slamming the phone against his ear so hard that he momentarily feared he had broke it.

"Hello?" He greeted.

"Hey," Liz said, a little playfully.

"Hey, what's up?" Hellboy asked, sitting down on his bed.

"Guess who's getting cleared for release next Tuesday?" Liz teased.

Hellboy was speechless for a moment. "R… really?"

"Yup," Liz answered back triumphantly.

"That's awesome," Hellboy said, looking at his calendar that hung nearby.

"Are you busy that day?" Liz asked.

"Well," Hellboy said. "I was supposed to be leaving for Ohio that day on a mission, but Bernard and his guys should be able to handle it. Hey, you know Tuesday is your birthday, right?"

"Yeah," Liz said. "And you better have something fun planned for us. The big one-eight."

Hellboy laughed, immediately beginning to brainstorm.

"Well, I'd better get off of here," Liz said. "Hilda's giving me the look. Bye, love ya."

"Love you, too," Hellboy said right before she hung up.

Even though Hellboy was exhausted from the trip, he immediately got up to transfer his case over to Bernard, who instantly accepted it. He could count on one hand – his right one, with only 4 fingers – the amount of times he had given someone else a case he was assigned to. The truth was that he had so little going on in his personal life that he rarely had a reason to deny a case, but this was different.

His little sister was coming home, on her 18th birthday, no less. He had every intention of making it special.


	15. Home At Last

Hellboy sat near the terminal on a bench, waiting for the plane passengers to start coming out. He had barely been able to get any sleep that night because of his excitement of meeting Liz at the airport in the morning, so he left extra early to go pick up some flowers from a floral shop that was along the way. They were fire lilies, which was, ironically, Liz's favorite flower.

He clutched the small bouquet in his flesh left hand, eyes fixed on the door the passengers would all be filing out of. At his hooves lay a gift bag with her birthday present inside – a new pair of crimson high top Converse. The pair she had was wore out to the point where holes had formed in both of the soles.

It had been eight months, but it felt like so much longer. The phone calls and exchange of letters was great, but it was no substitute for the real thing. He was finally going to be reunited with his sister, and that excited him more than anything ever had. Hopefully this time she would stay permanently.

He decided to go over to the nearby café and order him and Liz some coffee and breakfast croissants, in case she was hungry. With the bouquet tucked under his arm and her gift bag looped around his horizontal forearm, he grabbed the coffee cups in both hands and tucked the top of the paper bag that the croissants came in between his fingers.

Hellboy sat down at one of the tables at the café, thinking perhaps Liz might want to eat and catch up here before they take off to do birthday activities that he had planned for them. It wasn't very far from the terminal and he stuck out like a sore thumb – she would definitely be able to spot him. He sat the flower, coffee and croissants up on the table and sat the gift bag containing her shoes down at his feet.

He had decided to dress up a little for Liz. He wore one of his few non-BPRD shirts – a black, deep V neck t-shirt that was perhaps a size or two too small. It showed the contours of his muscles through the material and appeared as if it might rip if he stretched the wrong way. He also sported a pair of the nicest cargo shorts he owned, but hadn't bothered with shoes of any kind.

He looked down at his shirt, noticing a piece of fuzz that was clinging to the chest area. He reached for it with his left hand and let it fall to the floor, when he suddenly heard a familiar voice coming from behind him.

"Are those for me?" The voice asked.

He whipped his head over his shoulder. Time seemed to stand still.

It was Liz, but she seemed…

Different.

She looked pretty much exactly the same as when she left, but something had changed.

There was a different energy about her, almost like power and confidence exuded from her. She felt powerful. She had a different glint in her amber eyes. Her smile was bigger and more natural than he'd ever seen it.

She seemed almost like a different person.

For whatever reason, Hellboy found it impossible to speak as he stared at her. His heart fluttered. His mouth became dry, and the moisture that was meant for his mouth seemed to travel elsewhere; namely his left palm and armpits. He felt the tip of his tail spasm involuntarily.

Liz couldn't help but chuckle and look down at his tail. "Is that a wag? Are you happy to see me?"

Hellboy felt the corners of his mouth tug upwards, but he still couldn't quite bring himself to talk. He felt very odd.

Liz came around the table and sat across from him, still smiling. She took her book bag off of her back, and sat it down at her feet along with a smaller duffle bag that she carried in her hand.

"Jesus, Red. If I'd have known sneaking up on you was going to break you, I wouldn't have done it."

Hellboy tried to snap out of whatever kind of reverie he had been forcefully sucked into and pushed the bag containing the croissants toward her, along with a cup of coffee.

"I got you breakfast," He said, voice coming much smaller than normal. "In case you were hungry."

"Yeah, I'm starved," Liz said as she opened the bag, taking one of the croissants out. "So, what have you planned for Her Royal Majesty's eighteenth birthday?"

"Well, uh…" Hellboy said, staring at her and having a hard time finding his voice. "I was thinking we could go see a movie. Bride of Frankenstein is playing at the Regal. And I was wanting to take you to that really fancy sushi place that you like so much."

Liz smiled so broadly that a little bit of her gumline showed and she brought her hands up to silently clap them together excitedly.

"Yo Sushi?" Liz practically squealed, bouncing in her chair slightly.

Hellboy nodded, feeling like he was in a daze. He felt utterly mesmerized by her. He decided it was probably just because he hadn't seen her for almost a year, but it felt like there was more to it than that.

Liz took a bite of her croissant. Hellboy couldn't help but watch as her straight, white teeth dug into the croissant, cheese and egg. Every little move she made was like a breath of fresh air to Hellboy.

"We can do anything you want today, though," Hellboy went on as she ate. "Just name it."

He meant it. He suddenly felt like he would do anything she asked of him, no matter what it was, without question or complaint.

Liz took a sip of her coffee and chuckled. "Those two things sound great."

Hellboy completely ignored his croissant, but sipped on his coffee when he remembered it was there. He couldn't seem to take his eyes off of Liz for more than a few seconds at a time.

"So, _are _these for me?" Liz asked, looking at the fire lilies sitting on the table.

"Oh, uh," Hellboy stammered, being pulled out of his stupor. "Yeah, they are."

"Aww," She cooed, picking the bouquet up to better observe the lilies. "You remembered my favorite flower. How sweet."

Seeing how she reacted – seeing that joyful spark in her eyes - made him want to go back to the floral shop and buy every damn fire lily they had.

"What's in the bag?" Liz asked, tilting her head to look under the table. "Did you pick something up at a gift shop?"

"Hmm?" Hellboy asked, thoroughly forgetting the bag was even down at his hooves. "Oh! Yeah, that's your birthday present. Sorry."

He scooped up the bag by the handle and pushed it across the table to Liz. She grabbed the bag and peered inside, her face lighting up. She pulled the Converse box out, lifted the lid and saw the shoes, giving an excited bounce in her seat.

"I really needed a new pair of Chucks," Liz said, smiling over at him, putting the box back in the bag, and the bag back on the floor. "My old ones were getting so beat up. And you got them in my favorite color, too. Thanks so much."

Hellboy smiled back at her, feeling like he wasn't able to form a coherent thought. "Yeah, don't mention it…"

Liz crumpled the croissant wrapper into a ball and aimed for a trashcan that was about 5 feet away. She missed and it landed on the floor.

"Crap," She laughed, standing up to go throw it away.

Hellboy wanted to offer to do it for her, but his voice caught in his throat as he noticed her outfit for the first time. It was a black dress with sunflower print. It had spaghetti straps and the skirt portion stopped a few inches above her knees. On her feet, she wore a basic pair of green flip flops. Her attire was so different compared to before.

He never had an issue with the way she dressed. He didn't think there was a 'proper' way for a lady to dress. He thought that notion was silly and outdated. People should dress however they felt comfortable.

But seeing Liz in a cute little dress, her delicate shoulders exposed, her pale skin on display… he couldn't help but stare. Something about it drew him in. It made him want something, but he couldn't quite figure out what that something was.

Liz knelt down and threw the wrapper away, coming back over to the table to join him. She smiled from ear to ear.

"Do you want to see the stuff I made you while I was gone?" She asked.

Hellboy swallowed and nodded.

Liz sat the small duffle bag up on the table and started pulling items out.

"I made you this scarf," She said, pulling out a long, grey scarf. "I picked grey, because you look _so _nice in grey. I think so, anyway."

Hellboy felt his cheeks grow warm, and was happy that his skin was already red.

She put the scarf back in and pulled out a little ashtray. It was painted blue and had 2 little scoops on either side for cigarettes.

"I put two rests in it because…" She paused, a guilty smile spreading across her face. "I _might _have picked up smoking while I was away. You'd be surprised how easy it is to get cigarettes in a psychiatric hospital – even from the staff."

She put the ashtray back into the duffle bag and pulled out a coffee mug that was painted white. It had a big, red heart painted on the front.

"I know how much you like your morning coffee," Liz said. "And you need to get more mugs, anyway. You have… what? Like, three coffee mugs to your name?"

She laughed as she put the mug back and fished out the next item: a fruit bowl. It was painted in triangles of various color. Blue, yellow, red, green, black, orange, purple.

"I was feeling pretty chaotic the day I made this," Liz said, sliding the bowl back in.

She pulled out a little candle holder, which wasn't much more than a little saucer that was painted black.

"I know you're not a candle guy," Liz said. "So no pressure to actually use this."

She pulled out a little Mason jar that was partially filled with sand. It had 2 tiny plastic palm trees glued to the lid. Hellboy noticed there were some very tiny seashells hidden throughout the sand.

"I didn't want to risk it breaking on the ride back over and getting water everywhere," Liz said, shrugging. "So I decided to make a little beach globe instead of an actual snowglobe."

She put the globe back and pulled out a big, folded-up, black blanket.

"I don't want to unfold it and let it touch the floor," Liz said. "But it should be almost big enough for you. It took me a little bit of time to knit, but not as much as it could have since the yarn I used was extra thick."

She carefully lowered the blanket back into the duffle bag.

"Oh," She continued. "And I have some paintings being mailed back to the Bureau. I _really _didn't want them getting broken. Those guys are so rough with luggage that it's a damn miracle nothing got broken. I for sure thought I'd slice my hands on ten pounds of broken glass and clay when I went to show you this stuff."

Hellboy had a smile on his face the entire time she was showing him the things she had made him. For some reason, it excited him that she would go through the trouble of making him anything at all.

"So," Liz said, putting the duffle bag carefully on the floor. "When does the movie start?"

"Not until later," Hellboy said. "We got plenty of time. There are a few showings, so we can do the movie almost anytime. We've still got that two-hour car ride to contend with, though."

"Oh, yeah," Liz said, pressing her lips in a thin line. "Forgot about that."

"We'll make an adventure out of it," Hellboy said, grinning.

"We always do," Liz said.

Hellboy stood up and put Liz's back pack on his back. He grabbed her duffle back and tucked the handle into his stone right hand, and the gift bag containing her Converse in his left hand. He leaned over the table to grab the paper bag containing his untouched croissant in his mouth when Liz piped up.

"Hey, I can carry _something_," Liz laughed. "No need to use your mouth as a third hand."

He stood up straight and felt himself blush a little, barely able to speak around the paper bag. "I didn't want to be rude and ask you to carry anything."

Liz shook her head and picked the fire lily bouquet up, cradling it in into the crook of her elbow. She picked up her coffee and dumped what little remained down her throat, throwing the empty cup into the trashcan and making the shot this time. She grabbed Hellboy's coffee and pulled the little croissant bag from between his lips.

"Okay," She said, getting up from her seat. "I think that's everything."

Hellboy nodded. "Let's roll."

On the ride back home, Hellboy found himself glancing at Liz out of the corner of his eye several times, only one could hardly classify them as mere glances. They were fairly long, smoldering looks that made Hellboy's solitary palm sweat so badly that holding the steering wheel became difficult.

Of course, he only gave her these looks when she wasn't paying attention. He was aware his behavior was bordering on creepy, but he seemed unable to stop himself.

As they headed back home to Connecticut, Liz frequently put her hand out of the window just to feel the breeze pass between her fingers. She put her head out a few times and made all sorts of crazy sounds, her hair being whipped this way and that. She played with the radio and danced in her seat to every song. She put in one of the cassette tapes Hellboy had sent her and screamed along with it.

Most of all, she smiled. She laughed. She seemed alive for the first time. She was spontaneous. She was happy, powerful. She seemed absolutely comfortable and confident.

Hellboy liked it. He liked it a lot.

"So, how was it there?" Hellboy asked.

"It was okay," Liz said. "Everyone was pretty friendly. Except Jackie. She was a bitch. I was always happy when she wasn't working. The only thing I completely hated was the food. It was horrible."

"Oh, yeah?" Hellboy asked, feeling as if he could listen to her talk forever.

"Yeah," Liz went on. "Nothing like your cooking. I've been craving your cooking ever since I was locked up there."

"Oh, yeah?" Hellboy asked again. "Like what?"

"Anything," Liz said. "Your paprika chicken mostly, but all of your cooking is amazing."

Hellboy felt his heart flutter at the compliment. He set a reminder in his brain to make her paprika chicken as soon as he possibly could. Liz had said a billion times how great Hellboy's cooking was, but this time it seemed… different.

"We're getting pretty close to Fairfield," Hellboy said. "Did you want to do the movie first, or are you feeling hungry for some sushi?"

"Honestly," Liz said. "I'm still pretty full from that croissant. I think the movie would make more sense."

"You got it," Hellboy said as he pulled into town.

A few minutes later, he pulled into the Regal parking lot and killed the engine. He stuffed the key in his pocket and got out of the car, closing the door behind him and walking over to the passenger side to help Liz get out of the van. When he got there, Liz had already climbed out and was in the process of shutting the door behind her.

Hellboy must have looked sad in some way, because Liz began teasing him.

"Aww," She said, pouting a little. "Did you want to open the door for me that badly? I can get back in if-"

"No, no," Hellboy said, forcing himself to smile. "It's fine. I guess I'm just so used to holding doors for you."

"Well, I'll allow you to hold the theater door open for me," Liz teased. "But just this once."

Hellboy walked up to the front doors, and somehow Liz was keeping pace with him. He was either making a subconscious attempt to match her pace, or she had become faster over the last 8 months. Now that Hellboy thought about it, she did seem to have a different stride.

Hellboy pulled the door open and made a dramatic 'after you' gesture. Liz grabbed the skirt of her dress daintily between her thumb and forefinger and gave an elegant curtsy, then walked through the door. Hellboy came in behind her and walked up to the ticket counter, where the employee behind it gave him an alarmed stare.

"Two for Bride of Frankenstein, please," Hellboy said to the employee.

The guy behind the counter seemed stuck in a stunned daze as he regarded Hellboy. Getting irritated and not feeling like dealing with this bullshit today, Hellboy placed a twenty-dollar bill on the counter when the employee made it obvious he was too dumbfounded to function on his own.

"Oh, sorry," The employee said, shaking his head side to side slightly. "Yeah, uh…"

The employee took the twenty-dollar bill, put it in the register and handed Hellboy his change.

"Cinema two," The kid said. "It's in cinema two."

"Thanks…" Hellboy muttered as he turned away.

They walked alongside each other, and he started walking toward the concession stand.

"I know you said you weren't hungry," Hellboy said, looking down at her. "But would you split a popcorn with me?"

"Sure," Liz said, smiling. "If you don't eat it all first."

"I promise I'll share," Hellboy said, raising his hands up in a surrendering gesture. "Did you want anything while we're up here? A drink or something?"

"Um…" Liz said. "I guess a Coke sounds good."

Hellboy nodded and placed their order. Liz leaned against him, her head resting under his left pectoral. She hummed quietly to herself while they waited. Hellboy could feel that she was putting practically all of her weight into the lean. If he moved just the slightest without her anticipating it, she would most likely tumble to the floor.

Hellboy felt his heart flutter as he realized how much trust was put into the gesture.

The girl behind the counter sat the popcorn and drink on the countertop, along with a straw. Liz took her weight off of him and stood normally, causing Hellboy to almost feel sad at the departure. He grabbed the popcorn and drink and headed toward cinema 2.

When they walked in, the dim lights were still on and the screen was blank. The room was completely empty, and the chances of anyone else coming in the theatre on a Tuesday to see a monster flick that came out in the 30's was pretty slim. Hellboy felt a rush of excitement at the prospect of being all alone with Liz in the auditorium.

"Decisions, decisions," Hellboy said, grabbing some popcorn and shoving it in his mouth.

Liz led the way to the very back row, right in the middle. She sat down and looked up at him with a smile. He sat down next to her, the seat almost too narrow for him. He sat her soda down in the armrest and popped the straw into the lid. Liz bowed her head, brought her mouth down around the straw and drank. Hellboy threw some more popcorn in his mouth.

"There you go," Liz teased. "Eating it all."

Hellboy smiled and held the popcorn tub to her. She brought her face close to it and stuck her tongue out, a piece of popcorn sticking to it. She opened her mouth and retracted her tongue, bringing the popcorn along with it. She smiled mischievously as she chewed it.

Hellboy wasn't exactly sure why, but the gesture almost flustered him in a strange way, seeing her tongue coming out of her mouth and back in again… then that little 'I'm up to no good smile' spreading across her lips. It set something off in his brain, and he couldn't figure out what that something was.

"Sorry," Liz said, laughing. "Was that gross? Did I gross you out by doing that?"

"Uh…" Hellboy grunted, trying to remember how to speak. "No, it-"

"You got all serious after I did it," Liz said, waving a hand. "I won't do it again. Sorry, I don't know why I thought that would be okay."

Hellboy didn't really know what to say. He didn't want her to feel badly or think she committed some faux pas that had upset him, but he was so confused that he couldn't help but be silent. He was having a hard time figuring out what he was feeling.

The movie started, which got him off the hook for talking for the next hour and 15 minutes.

He tried to figure out why being around Liz felt so different all of a sudden. She looked almost the exact same as before, but she acted very differently while still being fundamentally the same person. She was still the sweet, kind, loveable girl she had been, but the girl before had been timid and unsure; almost spineless in some respects.

This Liz was bolder, more opinionated, more outgoing.

Hellboy had his hand resting on the popcorn when Liz reached for some. Their fingers brushed. Hellboy flinched so hard that he almost sent the popcorn tub flying.

"Jeez!" Liz said, pulling away and looking a little startled in the dark theater. "You okay?"

"Yeah…" Hellboy said, handing her the tub. "I'm gonna go to the bathroom real quick, if that's okay?"

"Yeah, sure," Liz quietly said, looking up at him with concern as he got up to leave.

Hellboy walked into the men's bathroom and surmised it was empty. He looked in the mirror, deep into his yellow eyes and took a deep breath.

"She's still the same Liz she's always been," He whispered to his reflection. "Stop acting weird. You're just excited she's back, that's all. Calm down…"

But he knew that was a lie. There was a lot more to it than just being happy to see her after all this time and he was determined to figure it out.

He turned on the faucet and splashed some cold water on his face. He patted his face dry with a paper towel, wadding it up and throwing it away. Taking another deep breath and collecting his composure, he walked back into cinema 2, determined to go the rest of the day without another outburst.

.

.

.

They pulled up to Yo Sushi and saw that there were hardly any cars around the building. It wouldn't surprise Hellboy if the cars that were there all belonged to the employees. He doubted too many people were craving sushi on a Tuesday in the afternoon.

Hellboy was getting ready to open the driver's side door when Liz spoke.

"Hey," She said. "Do you think I could bum a cigarette off of you before we go in?"

The request, coming from Liz, felt odd, but he dug around in his pocket for his pack of Chesterfields and pulled them out. He held the pack out to her and she extended her fragile, pale fingers to dig a cigarette out. She popped it in her mouth and Hellboy's heart skipped a beat at the sight.

He fumbled around for his lighter. Liz held up a hand to stop him, then took that hand, pressing her index finger to the tip of her cigarette. A tiny flame ignited until it made the end smolder. She sucked in to stoke the flame, then took the cigarette out of her mouth in the V of her index and middle finger, blowing a little plume of smoke out of the open car window.

Hellboy's breathing hitched as he watched her.

He grabbed his own cigarette, put it in his mouth and almost had the lighter up to the end when Liz reached over. With a dainty index finger, she lit his cigarette the way she had lit her own. He took a drag, secretly excited that the fire that was fueling the cigarette came from her. He knew it had to have been all in his head, but he swore it tasted different.

"How far have you come with your powers?" Hellboy asked.

"Well," Liz said, little wisps of smoke seeping from between her lips. "I couldn't practice much at all while I was at the behavioral hospital. They kept a pretty close eye on me and I was almost always around people, but I managed to teach myself quite a bit."

"Still wanting to be a BPRD agent?" Hellboy asked, leaning back in his seat and hanging the cigarette out of his window.

"Oh, most definitely," Liz said, nodding. "As soon as I get settled in, I'm gonna go talk to Trevor."

It made Hellboy both happy and scared. He was happy that Liz was being so proactive and sure about what she wanted, but it kind of scared him to think of her out in the field. He had told her before how dangerous the job could be, and he meant it. He hadn't just said it to dissuade her. He wanted her to be successful in life, but he didn't want her to be in more danger than she had to be.

"That's good," Hellboy said, not wanting to potentially upset her by saying what he really wanted to say.

They finished up their cigarettes, stamping them out in the little car ashtray. Liz climbed around in the seat, resting on her knees, and reached into the back seat. She dug around in her book bag and produced a can of Love's Baby Soft, spraying a little on her wrist and rubbing them together. She put the can back in her bag and began to climb out of the car when she stopped herself.

Turning her head over her shoulder to look at Hellboy, she smiled.

"I'm sorry," Liz said. "I'll allow you to help me out of the car. You can even escort me to the door if you'd like."

Hellboy laughed, but on the inside, he felt nervous. Nervous when she spoke to him. Nervous when she moved. When she looked at him, when she even looked in his general direction. Nervous when they touched.

Nervous about just being around her.

It wasn't like this at all before. It used to be effortless, being around her. What could have possibly changed in the span of 8 months? Why was he suddenly feeling this way?

Hellboy got out and closed the door behind him. He walked over to the passenger side and opened Liz's door for her. She swiveled in the seat sideways, feet perched on the floor of the car. She extended her arm in a royal gesture, as if she were a princess waiting on her servant to help her out of her chariot.

Feeling almost faint, Hellboy took her hand in his flesh one and she climbed out of the car. Feeling the chill of her cold hand against his warm one made him temporarily forget where he was.

Hellboy closed the door behind her and began walking, when Liz loudly, deliberately cleared her throat, still standing by the car.

"Aren't you going to escort Her Royal Majesty?" Liz teased, that little mischievous smile creeping onto her lips.

Hellboy swallowed and walked back to her, holding his left arm out for her to loop her arms around. She did, and Hellboy could feel his left palm start to sweat horribly. The closeness of their bodies sent his brain into overdrive as he tried to keep his composure.

_It's just Liz, _Hellboy chanted to himself. _It's just Liz, it's just Liz, it's just Liz…_

They were seated by a young Japanese lady who barely batted an eye at Hellboy. They sat across from each other and ordered their drinks – Liz, a water with lemon and Hellboy, hot tea with lemon – and the waitress walked away to fetch them while they mulled over the menu.

"I already know what I want," Liz said, putting the menu down at the edge of the table.

"Yeah, I think I do, too," Hellboy said, placing his menu on top of hers.

The waitress came back with their drinks and sat them down in front of them.

"Know what you want'a order?" She asked through her accent, holding up her order pad.

"I'll have the Godzilla roll," Liz said. "And some miso soup."

The lady nodded as she jotted the order down, then turned her attention to Hellboy.

"I'll have a dragon roll and rainbow roll, please," He said.

The waitress nodded and walked back to the kitchen to place the order.

Liz put her elbow on the table and leaned forward, resting the side of her face in her palm. Staring up at Hellboy from across the table, a grin spread across her face. With her foot, she searched for Helboy's hoof until they connected. She tapped it a few times, expecting him to do it back.

He didn't.

Liz frowned as he seemed to almost scoot back in his seat from her touch.

"Are you okay?" She blurted out.

"Yeah," Hellboy said. "Why?"

"You're acting odd," Liz said. "I didn't want to say anything, but you've been acting weird all day. What's up?"

"I guess I'm just tired," Hellboy said after a few seconds. "I didn't get much sleep last night."

It was true; he didn't get much sleep last night. But he was far from tired. Quite the opposite.

"Ah," Liz said. "Well, we can go back to the Bureau after this so you can get some sleep."

"No," Hellboy said almost too forcefully, causing Liz's eyes to widen slightly. "I don't want to cut your birthday short."

That was also true, but the other part of his reasoning was slightly more selfish: he wanted her to himself. He didn't want anyone else having her attention, at least not yet. If they went back to Bureau HQ, people would be asking her questions and talking to her, maybe even taking her away for tests and evaluations.

Put simply: Hellboy wasn't finished with her.

He felt like a creep when the realization dawned on him and he attempted to correct himself. He felt kind of possessive over her, and it was freaking him out. He had never been like this with anyone a day in his life, but here he was.

"No, really," Liz said. "It's fine. I kinda want to get back. I miss having my own room."

Hellboy nodded. "Understandable."

Their food came and Liz thanked the waitress as she walked away. She smiled at the sushi.

"I've been craving sushi ever since I got sent away," Liz said, laughing. "I was literally having dreams about it."

Hellboy forced a laugh, managing to make it sound natural. He almost started looking forward to the idea of being away from Liz, if only for a while, so he could sort his thoughts out a little easier. He needed to figure out why he was acting so oddly. Why being around her was eliciting such an odd reaction that was so unlike him.

Liz broke her chopsticks apart and expertly used them to pick up a piece of the roll. She brought it up to her mouth and managed to stuff the whole thing in there. Luckily for Hellboy, Liz didn't see him staring at her while she did it.

Hellboy forced himself to look away from her, directing his attention on his own sushi.

Aside from beating things into submission, Hellboy's right hand was nearly useless, but he had trained himself to become, more or less, ambidextrous. His right hand wasn't quite as useful as his left. It wasn't fit for many delicate operations, but he was surprisingly good at handling chopsticks with it.

He snapped them in half and easily grabbed a piece of sushi, starting with the dragon roll. He put it in his mouth and began to chew.

"I'm happy to see that you're still a fatty," Liz teased, snapping her chopsticks in his direction.

"What do you mean?" He asked, looking up from his plate.

"_Two _rolls of sushi?" Liz questioned, laughing.

"I got them for both of us," Hellboy explained, grabbing another piece of dragon roll. "I know you like rainbow and dragon."

He pushed the plates closer to her and she smiled, taking a piece of each with her chopsticks and putting them on her plate. She grabbed a piece of Godzilla off of her plate and put it on a small, empty plate that the waitress had left on the edge of the table with just such a scenario in mind.

Hellboy took a sip of his tea, the little Asian tea cup looking almost absurd in his massive, red paws and pressed up to his scowling mouth.

The silence between them had grown awkward, which was weird to Hellboy for a couple of reasons. Before, they hardly ever ran out of things to say to each other, and, when they did, the silence never became awkward.

_Maybe we've grown apart_, Hellboy ventured.

It hurt to think about. It burned in his chest like a cold knife… but it was the only thing Hellboy could think of that made sense. After all, if they hadn't grown apart, wouldn't they have plenty to talk about right now? They had just spent nearly a year apart.

Hellboy found himself almost wishing she hadn't come back. He felt like she was closer to him when they talked over the phone and thousands of miles separated them. Now that she was sitting directly across the table from him, she felt oceans away.

The thoughts he was having were ruining his appetite. He sat his chopsticks down, confident he wouldn't be able to eat another bite.

"You okay, Red?" Liz asked, concern shining in her eyes.

"Yeah," He said, rubbing the area between his horn stumps with the index finger of his left hand. "Just not feeling so great all of a sudden."

Liz leaned over the table to get a better look at him, sitting her chopsticks down.

"You don't look very good, either," Liz said, sympathy dripping off of her words. "That's weird. I didn't think you really got sick."

"I don't," Hellboy said, bringing his left hand down to rub his neck.

"We can head back home," Liz said, looking around for the waitress. "It's probably just the lack of sleep catching up with you. I can stay in your room while you sleep in case you need-"

"No," Hellboy said, much too sharply. "I mean… no, I'll be fine. You just focus on getting settled in. I can take care of myself."

"Oh…" Liz weakly said.

Hellboy could tell he had upset her in some way, and he felt bad, but his mind was such a mess that it hardly phased him. He needed to get back to his apartment, lock himself away, and figure this out. He wanted to express everything he was feeling to Liz, and, in the past, he could do just that, but now… now his thoughts and feelings were honestly scaring him, and they would probably terrify Liz if he let them out in the light.

Best to keep them locked away in the dark until he could sort them out.

The waitress came by to give them their check and Liz asked for a to-go box for the sushi and a to-go container for her untouched miso soup. Hellboy paid and they walked out to the car, Liz walking ahead of him and beating him to the car. The ride back home was a silent one, except for the quiet radio and hum of the engine.

Liz sat the whole way back home with her body turned away, staring out the window.

When they got back and pulled into the parking garage, Liz wordlessly grabbed her book bag and the to-go containers, got out of the car with a slamming passenger door and walked into the Bureau, not even giving Hellboy the slightest chance to say anything to her.

Hellboy stayed behind in the car, turned it off and rubbed his face with both of his hands, leaning into the steering wheel with a groan.

"What the fuck are you doing?" He muttered, his voice being muffled by his hands.

He finally had Liz back after almost a year. His sister. And he was acting like an idiot.

Only, if he was being perfectly honest, she didn't feel like his sister. Not anymore. Something had shifted, mutated, become something simultaneously hideous and beautiful. It was all so different to him now.

He mulled it over in his mind. He played the day back, trying to figure it out.

He took note of how much he stared at her when she wasn't looking. How much he stared when she was looking. How he seemed to notice her body for the first time – her lips, her smile, the way her dress clung to her hips, how beautifully fragile her hands were.

How every little move or sound she made caused his heart to flutter or stop altogether. How her touch both scared and exhilarated him beyond measure.

How seductive she looked with a burning cigarette between her lips.

Hellboy took his hands away from his face, shocked at the thought. But the thought seemed to open up the floodgates to more thoughts until he was sitting there in stunned silence.

_Am I in love with Liz_? He asked himself, disturbed at the thought.

It was hard telling. He had never been in love. He had had crushes and infatuations in the past, but he didn't connect romantic love to any of it.

She wasn't his sister by blood, but he had helped raise her. He'd been her friend and had helped her through some truly dark times in her life. She had helped him, too. They had instantly become best friends. In all the ways that mattered, they were siblings.

He realized that, yes, he was in love with her, and that felt like a betrayal somehow. It felt dirty, perverse, obscene. It felt good to have a name to put to it, but it didn't exactly make Hellboy feel much better. The revelation presented twice as many problems as it solved.

"Damn…" He whispered to himself.

He reached into the back seat and grabbed the duffle bag. He got out of the car and entered the Bureau. He saw that Liz was chatting in the lobby with Zach, a kid who had started shortly after she left. She seemed to be having a good time, so Hellboy snuck by undetected and slipped into his apartment.

He sat the duffle bag down on the floor and dug out the big, black blanket she had knitted for him. He laid down on his bed and wrapped himself in the blanket, delighted that it was large enough for him.

Hellboy decided that it was probably best to sleep on this. He didn't want to come right out and tell Liz that he was in love with her. He needed to figure out how and when to say it, which would be a challenge within itself. Hellboy wasn't good with words. Something like this would need careful planning. He'd have to be patient.

It dawned on Hellboy how terribly wrong it could go if he exposed his feelings. Best case scenario, Liz would be happy and reciprocating to his discovery. Worst case scenario, she would be angry… maybe even scared.

Maybe she would never speak to him again. Maybe this would end their 8 years of unconditional friendship. The thought hurt him to even imagine.

Hellboy went back and forth, debating on whether or not he should tell Liz at all, until his lack of sleep caught up with him and eventually took him.


	16. Moving On

Liz got out of the car in a huff, slamming the door behind her. She had her book bag strapped over her shoulders and the to-go containers in hand.

She wanted to get away from Hellboy. He was acting strangely; not at all like himself. She tried to figure out what was wrong, but he was obviously lying to her, claiming that he was tired. He wasn't tired. Liz had been around him enough to know that he doesn't act like that when he's tired.

There was something else going on with him. She wanted to figure out what it was, but she was much too angry to bother with it right now. She had to distance herself before she said something hurtful that she didn't mean.

Barging through the front doors, Liz stormed by with her head down and almost slammed into someone. She looked up to apologize, but all she managed to get out was the 's' in 'sorry.'

"S-" Liz said, a blush spreading across her cheeks as she stared at him.

Liz found herself looking up at a boy who was close to her age. He was wearing a BPRD shirt with visible spots of sweat on the pits and running shorts and shoes. He had black, shaggy hair and dark, brown eyes. His hair looked like it might be a little damp with sweat – Liz couldn't tell. He was about a head taller than Liz. He appeared to have just gotten back from a workout of some sort.

"Well, hey," He said. "Haven't seen you around here before. You new?"

"No, I…" Liz said. "I've been away. I just got back."

"Oh," The boy said, seeming confused. "Pardon me for saying this, ma'am, but you look a little too young to be an agent."

"Oh, I'm not," Liz explained. "Not yet, anyway. I've lived here since I was eleven. Professor Bruttenholm took me in after I lost my family in an accident. Today's my eighteenth birthday and I was going to go bug him about applying to be an agent as soon as I got settled back in."

"Interesting," The boy said, nodding. "If you don't mind me asking, what's your name, miss?"

"Elizabeth Sherman," She said, smiling. "But you can call me Liz."

"My name's Zachary Borden," He said, extending his right hand for her to shake. "You can call me Zach. I'm pretty sure I've heard folks around here talk about you."

She shook his hand. It was a large, strong hand.

"All good things, I hope?" Liz asked sheepishly.

"Well," Zachary said, scratching the back of his head. "Nothing good or bad, really. I'd just hear your name pop up. Never really thought anything of it. I figured maybe you were some big shot in the Bureau."

"Nope," Liz said, laughing. "I'm just me – nobody special."

"Oh, I somehow doubt that," Zachary said, a little coquettishly.

After a pause, Liz cleared her throat.

"So," She said. "You know my age, so I think it's only fair that I know yours."

"I turned twenty-one a week ago," Zachary stated.

"Well, happy late birthday," Liz said.

"And a very happy birthday to you, Miss Sherman," Zachary said, arching an eyebrow and smiling.

Liz giggled like a little school girl, trying to figure out if he was flirting with her or if this was just how he talked to everyone.

"Thanks…" Liz said, averting her gaze bashfully, cheeks burning.

"You said you live here?" Zachary asked. "So you must live in one of the apartments. I could help you carry your things if you'd like."

Liz smirked. "I've got it, thanks. But, uh… if you want to come see where I live…" She took a few steps in the direction of her apartment, looking over her shoulder at him. "In case you ever want to stop by or something…"

Zachary smiled and fell into step next to her. "That'd be great. I'm sorry if I seem too forward. I'm just not used to seeing people my age around here. It's kinda nice. Gets tiring being the youngest."

"Yeah, I hear you," Liz agreed. "It's even worse if you're a girl."

"I can imagine," Zachary said.

They arrived at Liz's apartment door and Liz held out the to-go containers to Zachary.

"Could you hold these while I dig the key out of my bag, please?" She asked.

He took them and Liz unhooked her book bag off of her back, rifling around in a side compartment for her apartment key.

"Did you go out for your birthday?" He asked as she plucked the key out, referring to the to-go containers.

"Yeah," Liz said, sticking the key into the doorknob. "My friend took me out."

"Someone from here?" Zachary asked.

"Hellboy," Liz said as she slid the door open.

"Oh," Zachary said. "You're pretty close with him, then?"

"Yep," Liz said as she stepped into her apartment with Zachary following close behind, closing the door behind them. "He's been my best friend since I arrived here."

She sat her book bag by the door and dropped her key back into the side compartment. She took the to-go containers from him and put them in her fridge.

"When you were eleven?" Zachary asked, his voice becoming hushed. "Weren't you terrified? Hell, I was twenty when I first met him and I nearly wet myself at just the sight of him."

"I mean…" Liz shrugged and tucked some hair behind her ear. "He scared me a little at first, but… I dunno. I kind of just… picked up on this vibe from him. It's hard to explain. I think it had a lot to do with the accident and losing my family. It was a lot to take in, and he was the first person to actually speak to me like a human being afterwards. I was scared already, so his appearance hardly phased me, if that makes sense."

"Yeah, it kind of does," Zachary said.

"You can come sit in the living room," Liz said, stepping closer to the couch.

Zachary looked at his wristwatch. "I'd love to, but I was actually supposed to be somewhere five minutes ago."

"Oh, jeez," Liz said. "Sorry, I didn't mean to keep you."

"Don't apologize," Zachary said as he backed up toward the door. "It was a pleasure to meet you… sorry again if this seems forward, but… are you doing anything tomorrow?"

Liz could feel her cheeks grow warm.

"I don't believe I am," Liz said, playfulness tingeing her voice.

"I could meet you here in the late afternoon?" He asked. "Maybe we could go on a walk, get a coffee?"

"I like coffee…" Liz said, trying to keep herself from smiling too broadly.

"Cool," Zachary said. "Cool, cool… see you tomorrow, Liz."

Zachary walked out and closed the door behind him. For the longest time, she just stood there, staring at the space he had occupied moments ago, brimming with excitement. Her first day back and she had already met a boy; a cute one, at that.

Liz practically skipped over to her couch and laid on her back, staring up at the ceiling.

"Coffee…" She muttered happily to herself. "Coffee tomorrow…"

.

.

.

Hellboy had awoken from his nap at almost 10 o'clock in the evening. He must have needed sleep more than he knew.

Rolling out of bed, he walked over to his bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. One of his sideburns had a horrible case of bed head, and he began brushing it back into place. He re-did his hair, tying it back into a tight knot as it had come undone while he was sleeping. Once he was satisfied enough, he walked out of his apartment and took off for Liz's place, hoping she was still awake.

He crept up to her door and saw that there was still light seeping from beneath it. He heard some noise coming from inside, farther in the back. It sounded like water running, then being shut off and a curtain being pulled back. She must have just been finishing up with a shower.

He began waiting, trying to determine how long it would take for her to get dressed, but the TV in the living came on just a few seconds after she had emerged from the shower.

Hellboy ventured a quiet knock with his left hand and waited. A few seconds later, Liz was peering out of the crack in her door into the dark hallway.

"Oh, hey," Liz said happily. "Didn't expect to see you."

"I wanted to apologize for earlier," Hellboy said, digging the tip of a hoof into the hallway carpet.

Liz smiled and opened the door for him to come in. As far as he could tell, she was wearing nothing but a bathrobe that was tied tightly around her waist, which made Hellboy feel just the slightest bit of anxiety. She got out of the shower a little too quickly to have had time to put on clothing, and it looked like there was nothing on her upper body. She could very well have shorts on beneath the robe, but it was hard to tell.

"It's fine," Liz said as he walked in. "No big deal."

Hellboy walked in and Liz shut the door.

"It kind of is," Hellboy said. "It wasn't right for me to act like that. I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted," Liz said.

"Is there a way I can make it up to you?" Hellboy asked.

Liz laughed. "You apologized – that's more than enough for me."

"But I wanna _do _something to make it up to you," Hellboy said.

After a moment of thinking, Liz walked over into the kitchen and pulled out the to-go containers.

"Let's have lunch together," Liz said, beginning to pour the miso soup into a bowl that she had pulled out of her cabinet. "And do it right this time."

Hellboy's stomach growled. He liked the idea of food right now.

He walked into the kitchen and sat at the table. Liz put the bowl into the microwave and set the timer for 2 minutes. She began putting all of the sushi out on a large plate. She sat the plate in the middle of her small table and went to retrieve the soup just before the microwave beeped.

Liz dug around in her silverware drawer and triumphantly held up 2 pairs of unopened wooden chopsticks.

"I still have them," Liz said, beaming from ear to ear. "Remember what these were from?"

Hellboy shook his head from the table.

"The first time you took me out for sushi," Liz said.

Hellboy laughed as the realization dawned on him. "Oh, yeah. You were only twelve at the time, weren't you?"

Liz nodded, walking over with the chopsticks and bowl of miso soup. She sat down at the table across from him.

"It was your first time having sushi," Hellboy continued. "You freaked out when you found out where I was taking you, because you were bound and determined that you hated sushi even though you'd never had it. I finally got you to take a bite after ten minutes of pestering you."

"And now it's one of my top ten favorite foods," Liz said, sliding one of the pairs of chopsticks across the table to him.

Hellboy and Liz smiled fondly at the memory.

"I really missed you," Liz said.

"I missed you, too," Hellboy said, fiddling with his chopsticks that were still unbroken and nestled in their paper sleeve.

Liz broke her chopsticks and grabbed a piece of the rainbow roll.

"Did you use the blanket I made you for your nap?" Liz asked.

"Yeah," Hellboy said, breaking his chopsticks as well. "I slept like a baby."

"You just woke up, I can tell," Liz said, stuffing the rainbow roll in her mouth.

"That obvious?" Hellboy asked as he picked up a piece of dragon.

Liz swallowed and nodded. "Yeah. Your hair's a fucking mess and you got that look in your eyes."

Hellboy smirked. "I even checked my hair before I came over."

"Well, I'm here to tell you that you did a terrible job," Liz said, plucking a piece of Godzilla roll off the plate.

She stuffed the roll in her mouth and walked off to her bathroom, chewing as she went. When she emerged, she had her hairbrush in hand.

"No," Hellboy said, smiling and shielding the back of his head with his great stone hand.

"I don't have lice," Liz said, futilely trying to pull his hand away. "Promise."

"Leave my hair alone, woman," Hellboy laughed as she yanked. "It's the source of my power. And pretty much the only thing I have going for me in the good looks department."

"Well, it looks terrible right now," Liz said, lightly smacking his stone hand. "So what's that say about your good looks?"

With a forced groan, he dropped his stone hand on his lap and Liz started working. She carefully pulled his hair tie out, causing his thick hair to tumble down past his shoulders. She ran her fingers through it, touching his scalp. It sent shivers down his spine and caused him to close his eyes for a second.

Liz was extremely careful as she worked the bristles through his hair, even though he would have barely felt it if she had been rough. Liz knew this. She knew that she couldn't cause him any real harm even if she tried, but she was still always quite gentle with him, which he secretly appreciated.

Liz walked around to his side and started brushing his sideburns. His eyes became half-lidded as the bristles grazed the skin beneath the hair.

"You look so weird without the knot in your hair," Liz said as she brushed. "I've hardly ever seen you without it. It just doesn't look right."

Hellboy felt himself unable to speak as she brushed him. It felt so nice that it put him in a sort of trance. It was the mix of physical contact and adoration that he secretly craved, and the fact that Liz was the one doing it made it that much more amazing.

Instead of walking around him to brush his other sideburn, she leaned over in front of him. Her chest was almost touching his face and her hair, which was still wet and strongly smelling of Gee, Your Hair Smells Terrific, was hanging less than 2 inches from his face. He could see her neck beneath her auburn hair; pale and elegant.

Hellboy felt strangely predatory and almost made himself leave, but he didn't want to upset Liz again with his odd behavior. Besides, he had excellent self control. Liz was safe around him, and he wouldn't do anything that she didn't expressly ask for.

But, god, he wanted her to ask.

The combination of her small breasts being so close to his face, covered by nothing but a bathrobe, her soft hands touching his face and the feminine smells coming off of her freshly washed body was almost too much for him.

Liz pulled back and looked behind him.

"Jeez," She said, chuckling. "That was your tail making your body jerk like that?"

Hellboy broke out of his trance and came back to reality. At first he didn't know what she was talking about, until he felt his tail swishing back and forth. He stopped it abruptly and felt his cheeks get hot.

"It has a mind of its own sometimes," Hellboy said quietly, clearly embarrassed.

"I guess so," Liz said, holding the hairbrush down at her side.

Hellboy was saddened to see her walking back into the bathroom with it. He had half a mind to ask her to keep doing it, but stopped himself. He felt like it would sound weird, even if he didn't mean it weirdly…

But he sort of did mean it weirdly. Part of him liked the touching and mollycoddling in a totally innocent, pure way, but another part of him liked it for the strangely sexual thrill he got, and that deeply troubled him.

She came back to the table and sat back down across from him, making sure her robe was tucked securely around her chest. She grabbed her chopsticks and picked up another piece of sushi, throwing it in her mouth.

"So," Hellboy said, trying to shake off the uneasiness he was feeling. "Are you busy tomorrow?"

"Actually," Liz said around a mouthful of sushi. "Zachary wants to meet up for coffee later in the day. But if you want to do something earlier-"

"Zachary?" Hellboy quietly asked, feeling his heart thudding suddenly.

"Yeah," Liz said, smiling. "I met him when we got back. We kind of hit it off."

Hellboy nodded and tried to keep his face as neutral as possible, despite the jealousy that was slowly growing. Zachary seemed like a nice boy, so Hellboy wasn't worried about him mistreating her. They were similar in age and probably had a lot in common.

Most of all, he was human.

If Zachary and Liz ended up dating, everything for them would be so simple. There probably wouldn't be any obstacles for them to overcome. It would be an easy transition. It would be… morally acceptable.

It would be a lot easier for her to go be with Zachary than to be with him. He knew that it would be difficult for them to be together because of the physical differences alone. Then, when factoring in the backlash they would most assuredly receive from society in general, it made the whole concept of dating Liz seem like a pipedream.

Hellboy already knew there would be backlash from Trevor, who had drilled it into Hellboy from a young age that no woman would want to be romantically involved with him. Any time Hellboy showed the slightest interest in a female, Trevor was quick to stop him. He had trained his adoptive son for a life of romantic and sexual solitude.

All in all, Hellboy had a pretty great childhood, even though it was cut incredibly short by early puberty at the age of eight. But almost as soon as puberty hit, and Hellboy made his blossoming sexual interests apparent, Trevor dashed any hopes the boy had of a normal relationship.

Faith was one of the few women to show a real interest in him, but Hellboy didn't have any real interest in her. She was nice to look at, and a few times when Hellboy was feeling desperate to experience lovemaking for the first time, he thought about taking advantage of her blatant interest, but he always held back, reminding himself how he didn't want to date her. For him, he felt like he needed to have a romantic interest in someone for the sexual interest to really count for anything.

Simply put, he needed to have feelings for someone to follow through with sex, otherwise it would more than likely leave him feeling hollow and confused. He needed trust and love, like what he felt with Liz. He didn't just want his carnal hunger to be satiated; he wanted to be in love and have someone be in love with him in return.

But the likelihood of that happening seemed impossible.

"Well, that's good," Hellboy said, nodding and managing to make himself sound convincing. "He's a good kid."

"Yeah, he seems pretty nice," Liz said as she raised the bowl of miso soup up to her mouth and took a sip.

"He'll treat you right, I bet," Hellboy said.

Liz set the bowl down on the table and gave him a quizzical look.

"Calm down, there," Liz said, a laugh escaping her throat. "I just met him today. I couldn't even tell if he was flirting or being friendly."

"Most likely flirting," Hellboy said matter-of-factly, shrugging.

"I mean… maybe?" Liz said, shrugging back at him. "So, do you know when Trevor's gonna be back? Or who I can talk to about joining the Bureau?"

"Uh… not sure when Trevor is coming back for sure," Hellboy said. "I haven't heard from him in a while. But you should probably just ask Zachary how he joined since he's done it recently. I didn't join like everyone else, and everything has changed since I did join, so I'm more out of the loop than anyone."

Liz nodded and ate one of the last pieces of sushi.

"I didn't even think of it like that," Liz said apologetically after she swallowed. "Sorry."

If it weren't for the television silently droning on in the background, silence would have filled the air for a few moments.

"Thanks for coming by and apologizing, Red," Liz said, reaching across the table and placing her hand on his left one. "It means a lot to me. And aside from the… unpleasantness that happened earlier, I had a great time."

Hellboy smiled, feeling genuinely happy at her statement, but also feeling a deep loneliness and sadness growing in his heart; a kind of isolation.

"No problem," Hellboy said, taking her hand in his left. "I'd do anything for you."

A warm smile spread across her face and she stood, coming around the table and wrapping her arms around him. The side of her face touched the side of his, and he forgot how to breathe. The intimate touch made his brain go blank and his throat feel as though it were swelling shut.

"I'm so glad to have you back," Liz said, squeezing him.

Just then, Liz pulled away from the hug, cupped his face between her cold, soft hands and kissed him on the cheek. Her lips on his face, mere inches from his own lips, threatened to send him into a tizzy. It took every ounce of willpower he had to not grab her face between his hands and lock her in a kiss, among other things.

He had to remind himself that a kiss on the cheek wasn't an invitation for anything further. He remained seated, keeping his hands to himself.

"Well," Liz said, stretching her arms high up over her head and giving a yawn. "I'm getting pretty tired. I think I'm gonna head to bed soon. Did you want me to come stay the night at your place? Maybe we could get breakfast in the morning."

The idea of Liz sleeping at his apartment made him panic. He would control himself, obviously, but having temptation so close was a bad idea that he didn't even want to risk.

"Actually," Hellboy said casually. "I've got some paperwork to catch up on, so I'm gonna be awake for most of the night. I wouldn't want to keep you up. But, yeah, we could get breakfast if you wanted."

It was true that Hellboy had paperwork to do, but he had no intention of doing it. He hated paperwork and rarely actually did it, but, for all Liz knew, this was one of the rare times he chose to do it.

"Ah, gotcha," Liz said, yawning again. She put the leftovers in the fridge. "Well, we'll see what time we both get up, I guess. Lock the door on your way out, okay?"

Liz waved as she walked into the back part of her apartment and Hellboy waved back. He heard Liz walk into the bathroom and brush her teeth. He sat there for a while until he heard Liz's bedsprings squeak. Not even a minute later, he could hear her lightly snoring.

He fought with himself.

He wondered what would happen if he carefully got in bed with her and kissed her until she woke up. Would she become scared? Angry? Would she kiss him back? Would she take it farther than kissing?

How would he react if she rebuked his affections? His moods were unpredictable and volatile at times, but he didn't think he had it in him to react angrily to her in any way. If she reacted to him negatively in a situation like that, it would be perfectly understandable. If he were to approach her in such a bold and uncivilized way, and he became angry that she didn't respond the way he wanted, that made him the worst kind of person.

The truth was, even if he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Liz would reciprocate his affections, he still would never physically make the first move, especially when she was asleep and vulnerable. While he was aware that Liz wasn't put off by his appearance or what he was, and was, in fact, one of the few people on the planet to not see him as any different than anyone else, Hellboy was always, in the back of his mind, put off by his own appearance and his origins.

Honestly, it all scared him.

He always played it off like it didn't phase him, or he didn't think about it, but the truth was that he thought about it almost constantly. Every single day when he looked in the mirror or felt the weight of his Right Hand of Doom, the supposed key to bringing about the apocalypse. Whenever someone would stare at him just a little too long. Whenever his horns needed to be filed down. Whenever he forgot about his tail and knocked something over.

Day in and day out, his physical differences bothered him.

He wouldn't physically make the first move because his appearance bothered him. Deep down, he hated it. As he entered puberty, he learned to hate his body and view it as unclean in an intangible way because of Trevor informing him that he had no potential in finding a mate just because of what he was.

But he also didn't want to make the first move physically because he knew that he was physically imposing and infinitely strong. If a woman ever felt threatened by him, she might just play along, fearing for her life. He had to make sure any sexual partner he had was completely willing and not feeling pressured by him. He had decided long ago that if a situation ever arose where he liked a woman and she liked him back, he wouldn't even hint at sex – he would wait for her to take control.

Hellboy closed his eyes and quietly sighed. He needed to stop thinking about things like this; things he so desperately wanted to happen, but would never happen. It wasn't worth the risk, even if she would respond positively to his advances.

He didn't want to force anything. He didn't want to potentially scare Liz and make her feel unsafe around him, because she was actually the safest around him. He would never take advantage of her or force her to do something she didn't want to do, and he would protect her from anything that threatened her.

But, at the same time, he wanted her. He wanted her in the best and worst way.

Drawing in a shaky breath, he quietly left Liz's apartment. Instead of going back to his place, he walked out to the parking garage, got in the first car he saw and drove off into the night, needing some fresh air and time alone.


	17. Nights Like This

He wasn't sure where he was going. He just knew he wanted to get out for a while and attempt to clear his mind. He wasn't acting like himself at all. He wondered if this was how everyone felt when they were in love - if that's what this feeling was - and, if it was how everyone felt when they were in love, then he felt sorry for anyone who ever has been or ever will be.

He doubted many people had been in the situation he was in, though.

He knew that, on one hand, he was potentially creating more problems for himself by not telling Liz how he felt, but if he told her and it went badly, it could create even worse problems for him and Liz as well. He preferred the solution where Liz wasn't upset, even if it caused him turmoil. In some ways, it was better for him to just keep quiet about it, even though it was tormenting his mind.

Hellboy was adamant that he didn't want to make the first move or even hint that he wanted a relationship with Liz. He wanted her to make the first move, but knew that there was next to no chance of that ever happening.

He wished he had someone on the outside to talk to about this. He could have easily found someone if it hadn't been so late at night.

A thought occurred to Hellboy as he drove. He had known Rachel for years, and she always invited him out to go drinking with her and her group of friends, something that she did every single night, unless something got in the way. He knew the bars and clubs she frequented; hell, he even knew her home address because she invited him to nearly every party she hosted, always begging him to at least stop by and grab a bite to eat. It was almost a guarantee that Rachel would either be at one of the clubs or bars, or back at her place.

Hellboy decided to check the main bar Rachel frequented, a place called Atomic Ray's, since it was the nearest place to his current location.

As soon as he walked in, he saw Rachel sitting at a back table with a few other people, laughing and talking loudly. She looked up moments after he walked in and caught a glimpse of him. Rachel's mouth dropped open in excitement and she clapped her hands together as he came closer.

"You actually made it?!" Rachel asked, her slurring words a clear indicator that she would probably fall over if she stood without assistance.

Hellboy nodded as he walked up to her table, a sheepish smile coming across his face.

"Guys – you guys!" Rachel said, addressing her friends around the table and several of them that had scattered around the bar. "This is my friend Hellboy! I've known him for-fucking-ever, and he is so cool!"

Nobody seemed put off by him at all, and they all either yelled a greeting or waved and went on about their business, whether it was shooting pool, doing shots or talking.

"So nice of you to finally join us, big guy," Rachel said, reaching out and putting her hand on his stone one. "You gonna have some drinks with us or what?"

"I'd better not," Hellboy grumbled. "I drove."

"Oh, it's cool," Rachel said, patting his hand. "I live right around the corner. You can crash at my place if you need."

Hellboy was quiet for a moment while he contemplated. He didn't know Rachel the best, but she seemed like good people. Staying the night at her place might be a little awkward under normal circumstances, but if he got hammered, nothing would seem awkward.

And, in his current frame of mind, getting hammered sounded mighty appealing.

"Um…" Hellboy said, turning to look at what kind of drinks they had behind the bar. "I mean, if you're sure it would be okay…"

"Yeah, totally," Rachel said. "I got a couch you can sleep on. It's old, but it's too comfortable to get rid of. Go get something to drink."

Hellboy tilted his head and raised a brow as he began walking over to the bar. He ordered a Budweiser, wanting to start out slow. He popped the bottle cap off easily with his stone hand and threw it in a nearby trash. He held the neck of the bottle up to his mouth and had it nearly drained by the time he made it back to Rachel's table.

"Jeez," Rachel laughed as she looked at his bottle. "Slow down, man."

"Wish I could," Hellboy shrugged, draining the rest of the bottle. He carefully sat it in a trashcan, not wanting to break the glass.

Rachel got a little serious, leaning closer to him and drunk-person whispering, which wasn't really whispering at all.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

He shrugged again and walked back up to the bar. This time he ordered 2 Budweiser's. Miraculously, Rachel managed to come meet him at the bar without falling or knocking anything over, even though she stumbled like hell on the short trek.

"Are you okay?" Rachel asked again, putting a hand on his back both to comfort him and to steady herself.

"Not really," Hellboy said as he grabbed his Budweiser's off the bar. He popped the cap off of one of the bottles and had the contents gone within seconds.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Rachel asked, rubbing his back now.

"I actually came here looking for you," Hellboy said, popping the cap off of the second bottle and chugging it.

"Oh, baby," Rachel said like a worried mother. "It's gonna be okay. We can go outside where it's a little more private."

"Just a minute," Hellboy said. "I need something stronger."

He ordered an entire bottle of Jack Daniel's. Grabbing the bottle, he walked near the door and waited on Rachel. She turned around and waved to her friends, gesturing that she was going outside for a while. Hellboy was already working on the bottle of Jack before they had even made it completely outside.

"What's going on, baby?" Rachel asked.

Hellboy stopped drinking and put his left thumb over the bottle opening rather than replacing the cap, knowing that the cap was just going to be more of an annoyance than anything.

He sighed, feeling kind of stupid now.

"Can we take this to my car?" He asked, pointing at where it was parked.

"Sure, yeah," Rachel said.

She was still unsteady on her feet, so Hellboy extended an arm for her to hold onto as they walked down the sidewalk to the parking spot. He helped her into the passenger side, then walked around to sit in the driver's seat.

Hellboy chugged the bottle until only half remained. He was starting to feel buzzed, which gave him a little more courage to vent his frustrations.

"What's up?" Rachel asked, leaning back in her seat.

"It's gonna sound really stupid, but… girl problems."

Rachel smiled over at him endearingly.

"Aww," Rachel said. "Are you in love?"

"I think so," Hellboy said, sounding a little guilty.

"Does she know about it?" Rachel asked.

"No," Hellboy said, shaking his head. "I can never tell her, either. That's the main problem."

"Are you shy or something? Is that why you can't tell her?"

"No, not exactly," Hellboy said. "There's a lot more to it than that."

"Go on," Rachel said. "Details."

"Okay, well…" Hellboy said uncomfortably. "She's been my friend for a long time. And our relationship has never been… _like that_, so I feel like telling her I'm in love with her might not go over well."

"I say you just tell her," Rachel said. "Don't just dump it on her all at once, though. Maybe build up to it."

"Well," Hellboy said, leaning his head against the window. "There's more to why I can't bring myself to tell her."

Rachel silently looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"It kind of…" Hellboy went on. "It sort of goes back to my childhood."

"How so?" Rachel asked.

"I have mysterious origins, to say the least," Hellboy said after a brief pause. "I don't really want to go into detail about that. The girl I like is the only person that actually knows about that mess. But I was taken in by a really great man when I was a baby, and he adopted me as his son… now, I'm not trying to say anything bad about him, but…"

Hellboy sighed and paused, taking a big gulp from his bottle. He leaned back in the car seat, feeling his muscles relax as the alcohol moved through his bloodstream.

"He raised me like a normal kid. He never once made me feel different from anyone else. Then puberty rolled around. I was only about eight when it really got started, but it was over in a flash. I got big. I started being harder to handle. My temper got away from me sometimes. The normal stuff that comes with puberty, but it was amplified for me."

Rachel had turned to face him in her seat, listening to his story with laser-like focus.

"When I hit puberty was when things changed," He went on sadly. "My father started contradicting a lot of things that he had taught me about myself. He noticed that I was showing an interest in women. I was noticing them for the first time, and it was totally normal stuff, really. I wouldn't gawk at them or act creepy – I'd just admire them for a while and move on or harmlessly try to flirt with them… and he told me I had to stop."

Rachel looked at him with sympathy. "Why, though?"

"Because of what I am," Hellboy matter-of-factly said. "He told me that I shouldn't hope for a normal romantic life. Women wouldn't want anything to do with me unless they were doing it out of curiosity. He said I shouldn't approach women if there was an interest because they'd see it as threatening, but that there was also no way a woman would approach me with good intentions… so, basically, he told me that I was doomed to be alone forever, no matter what."

"God," Rachel said with disgust. "That's awful. How could he say that to you?"

"I'm paraphrasing, of course," Hellboy said. "The way he said it made it all sound so much nicer... more tactful, but the heart of his message is all there. It gave me such an existential crisis."

"No offense, but it sounds like you're still having one," Rachel said.

"I mean…" Hellboy said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess, sort of."

"You guess?" Rachel asked, leaning over and putting a hand on his stone hand. "You're in your mid-thirties, and you're scared to ask a girl out because of something your dad told you when you were eight. You're scarred from what he said, at least."

Hellboy thought about what she said for a moment and chugged some more of his Jack Daniel's. He couldn't deny the truth in her words.

"What do you think I should do, then?" Hellboy asked.

"Life's too short," Rachel said. "I'm sure your dad is a great guy, but fuck what he told you. I don't care how he worded it; it wasn't okay to shame you into a life of celibacy just because you're different. That's fucked up. I say you ask the girl out. But, like I said – baby steps. Ease into it."

"How?" Hellboy asked.

"Flirt with her a little here and there," Rachel said. "Compliment her, buy her things, maybe take her out to dinner. Write her cute little notes, or a poem."

"I just…" Hellboy sighed. "I don't want to feel like I'm cornering her. I don't want her to feel pressured to be with me."

"Well, does she trust you?" Rachel asked. "How close are you guys?"

"Extremely," Hellboy said. "I feel like she trusts me with her life, and I feel the same. And, that's the thing… we've been like siblings up until now."

"Ooh…" Rachel said nervously. "Can I ask who this girl is?"

Hellboy heaved a sigh. "It's Elizabeth."

"Oh, my," Rachel said. "I wasn't expecting that. I guess she would be old enough for you by now."

"She literally turned eighteen on Tuesday," Hellboy said. "But she got sent away for about a year. When I saw her again for the first time was when I started… having these feelings."

"Well," Rachel said. "That was just yesterday, right? It might be a good idea to put a pin in this for a little while. Maybe you're just a mess of emotions because she's back after so long. Overly excited?"

"Maybe, but I doubt it," Hellboy said. "These feelings are strong. I've never felt anything like them. All I think about is her, and it's not like before. It would be great if this was temporary, but… part of me wants it to keep going. This is a completely new feeling to me. I want to know what it feels like to feel it with someone feeling it back at me."

The alcohol was definitely starting to speak for him. He drank the rest of the Jack Daniel's and dropped it on the floor. He wasn't quite sure where the cap for the bottle went, nor did he care.

"It is a great feeling," Rachel said. "It hurts like hell when it's over, but… yeah."

Hellboy was deep in thought, or as deep as he could get with his mind swimming. He tried to think of what he could do to draw Liz in. He already did some of the things Rachel had listed – compliment her, take her out to dinner and buy her things – so he'd either have to find a way to alter those things, or do the other ideas Rachel had suggested.

Flirting with her might prove to be a little too forward for his liking, and he'd never been a poetry kind of guy, despite the Professor's best efforts. Writing a note was probably his best option.

"Do you…" Hellboy said hesitantly. "Do you think you could help me write a note back at your place?"

"I'd be delighted," Rachel said, getting out of the car, wobbly on her feet.

Hellboy got out of the car and locked the door. He wasn't much better on his feet, but he was definitely managing better than Rachel.

Rachel popped back into the bar, saying goodbye to her friends, while Hellboy waited outside. After a few minutes, she emerged and they began the unsteady walk back to Rachel's place. Hellboy held out an arm for her to steady herself on, but she was still somehow managing to stumble everywhere. Hellboy scooped her up without warning and carried her the rest of the way.

"Do you know where you're going?" Rachel asked tiredly.

"Yeah," Hellboy assured her. "You've invited me over like a billion times."

"Oh, yeah," Rachel said.

They came up to the front door of Rachel's duplex. While still in Hellboy's arms, she dug around in her pants pocket for the key. Hellboy held her closer to the door so she could unlock it. Hellboy reached out and opened the door, walking in with Rachel still in his arms.

There was a small table lamp that glowed near a recliner, dimly lighting her living room. Hellboy carefully put Rachel down and closed the door behind them, making sure to lock it.

"That's probably the closest I'll ever come to being carried over the threshold," Rachel laughed.

Hellboy snorted. "You have more of a chance of being carried than I do of carrying."

"Come on, now," Rachel said. "You and Elizabeth are going to get married. I feel it."

Hellboy let her statement sink in. If they did end up dating, would it ever get as far as marriage? Hellboy felt like he would marry Liz in a heartbeat, but would she feel the same? Being with Hellboy meant she would have to sacrifice having the "American dream" style of life. Granted, Liz's life was already straying away from that path, but he didn't want to take the possibility of her ever achieving any semblance of normalcy in her life. He didn't want to be an addition to the oddness.

"What?" Rachel asked, studying his expression. "You not the marrying type?"

"No, it's not that…" Hellboy said. "I've never exactly held my breath on it, but I've always thought it would be kind of nice. It's just…"

Rachel walked over to her 3-seat couch and patted the cushion next to her. Hellboy wandered over and sat down.

"Well…" He continued. "This is a little personal, but… I can't get a woman pregnant. So, if Liz wanted kids…"

"I see," Rachel said. "Maybe she doesn't want them? Not every woman wants kids. I know I sure as hell don't."

"Really?" Hellboy asked, some hope rising in his chest.

"Hell no," Rachel said. "Kids suck. They're expensive and they make life so dull. Things are just easier and more enjoyable without them. That's actually what ended my engagement last year."

"You were engaged?" Hellboy asked. "I had no idea you were even dating anyone."

"Yeah," Rachel said. "I told him early on in the relationship that I didn't want children. He claimed that he didn't, either. About a month into the engagement, I found out he was poking holes in the condoms."

"Yikes," Hellboy said.

"Mmm-hmm…" Rachel said, furrowing her brow at the memory. "Glad I broke it off when I did. Even more glad I didn't get pregnant from the whole thing and end up stuck with him."

"I'll bet," Hellboy said.

"Honestly, though," Rachel said. "It's really awesome that you can't get a girl pregnant. It's kind of hot, really. Sex with none of the drawbacks."

Hellboy felt himself blush a little. He didn't like talking about his peculiarities, but Rachel made it easy and almost empowering.

If Hellboy was honest with himself, he wouldn't want kids even if he had the ability to procreate. It was just the reasoning behind why he couldn't that bothered him. It just served as a reminder that he wasn't completely human; that he was other, that there were always going to be things that set him apart from everyone else.

Hellboy felt himself become a little emboldened by the way Rachel was talking to him. He felt his normal inhibitions fall away, ever so slightly.

"So…" Hellboy started, laying back on the couch. "You've obviously had sex before… what do girls like, exactly?"

"Wait…" Rachel said, understanding slowly dawning on her. "You've never had sex?"

Hellboy pressed his lips into a thin line. "Never found anyone I felt comfortable enough to do it with."

"Oh," Rachel said. "Well, how far have you got?"

Hellboy stared blankly back at her.

"Oral?" Rachel asked. "Fingering? Groping?"

Hellboy averted eye contact.

"Have you even kissed a girl?" Rachel asked, smirking a little.

"Again," Hellboy said. "Never found the right one."

"Wow," Rachel said, sounding impressed. "You're a total virgin."

"So, um…" Hellboy said, clearing his throat, trying to get Rachel back on topic.

"Oh, yeah," She said. "What do you want to know exactly?"

"Anything you know," Hellboy said, shrugging.

"Well," Rachel started. "The important thing to know is that women are about as horny as men, but it's also a little trickier to get us off. It's pretty rare for women to be able to orgasm through just penetration, so you might have to get creative."

"Creative, how?" Hellboy asked, feeling slightly awkward at having this conversation, but too curious to stop.

"Some girls like other types of stimulation," Rachel explained. "Some girls like anal and clitoral stimulation coupled with penetration. Some like their nipples being played with. Some girls don't like penetration at all."

"R-really?" Hellboy asked. "The girls in the videos I've seen all go crazy with penetration."

Rachel laughed. "That's porn, big guy. Girls in real life are entirely different. We all have different turn-ons."

"I see," Hellboy said, thoroughly fascinated, both by the conversation and the ease of it. "So, some girls like receiving oral… and some don't?"

"Yeah," Rachel said. "Lemme guess – that's one of your turn-ons? Eating a girl out?"

"Um…" Hellboy felt himself blush again. "I've always been curious about it."

Hellboy didn't want to admit to Rachel that cunnilingus was his number one fetish, even though he was sure she wouldn't even bat an eye. He didn't really want to make the conversation outright sexual. He already felt a little weird about having a conversation about sex with someone he barely knew, especially being drunk and alone together at her place.

"That's really cute," Rachel said adoringly. "I wouldn't have guessed, but it's so cute."

Hellboy wasn't sure how she found the idea of him being sexually intimate "cute," but he assumed it might have been because of the story he had shared with her earlier. Maybe she found the idea of Hellboy still developing sexual desires, despite his father trying to dissuade him, endearing in some way – hence, she found it "cute."

"Wanna work on that note now?" Rachel asked.

Hellboy was confused for a moment, as he had forgotten almost entirely about it.

"Jeez," Hellboy said. "Yeah, definitely."

Rachel grabbed a notepad and pen sitting on the coffee table before them. She flipped over to a blank page and tapped the pen intermittently against the paper.

"First thing's first," Rachel said. "Are you using her full name or abbreviated name?"

"Which do you recommend?"

"Girls usually like when guys use their full name," Rachel explained. "As in, the whole thing. First, middle and last. It's like… you're addressing their essence. Like you're dead serious and want them to hear you."

"Elizabeth Anne Sherman," Hellboy said.

Rachel jotted down her name and looked back up at Hellboy expectantly.

"What else should I say?" Hellboy asked, obviously at a loss.

"Well, what do you want to say?" Rachel asked, giggling. "Do you want to be blunt and tell her you have a crush or be subtle?"

"Subtle," Hellboy said, nodding. "Definitely subtle."

"Okay, so…" Rachel said, wiggling the pen between her index and middle finger. "You missed her while she was gone. We should emphasize that. Girls love being missed…"

Rachel jotted a few things down and looked back over at Hellboy.

"Does Elizabeth look any different since you last saw her?" Rachel asked.

"Not really," Hellboy said. "A little more grown up, but pretty much the same."

Rachel began writing a few more things, nodding.

"Girls her age like being reminded how adult-like they are," Rachel said. "Did you get her any welcome back presents?"

"Sort of," Hellboy said. "I got her her favorite flowers as a welcome back gift, but I got her new Converse as a birthday gift. She made me a bunch of stuff while she was away. The thing I'm most excited about is the blanket she knitted me. It's just the right size. It looks professionally made."

This seemed to pique Rachel's interest. "What else did she make you?"

"Um…" Hellboy thought. "A scarf, a candle holder… an ashtray. She picked up smoking while she was gone. Made two rests for the ashtray. A fruit bowl and a coffee mug. And a sort of snow globe in a Mason jar, only it's not exactly a _snow _globe."

"Oh?" Rachel asked as she scribbled. "What was it, then?"

"Well, it didn't have any liquid in it. She made it all tropical themed. It has little seashells and palm trees in it."

"Do you think maybe it was a hint?" Rachel asked. "Do you think you should take her to the beach?"

"I mean…" Hellboy said, scratching the back of his neck. "Maybe? I don't pick up on hints very well."

Rachel smiled and shook her head, writing more things down on the paper.

"Typical man…" Rachel said with mock disapproval.

"She also made me a coffee mug," Hellboy went on. "It had a big, red heart painted on the front. I don't know if that means anything…"

"Maybe," Rachel said vaguely. "Maybe not."

"She said she had some paintings being mailed to the Bureau," Hellboy said. "She didn't want them to get beat up on the flight."

Rachel took a deep breath. "Now, don't be afraid to tell me to mind my own business, but where exactly did Elizabeth go away to?"

Hellboy shifted uncomfortably, but decided to inform Rachel while still keeping everything vague.

"When she was a little girl, her family was in an accident," Hellboy said. "All three of them passed away as a result of it. She completely blames herself, but it really didn't have anything to do with her. It scarred her. I knew it did – it would scar anyone… I guess nobody saw how bad it had gotten. She had to be sent away to get help before it got worse."

Rachel seemed to understand without Hellboy going into specifics. She nodded solemnly.

"And she seems better now?" Rachel asked.

"Jeez," Hellboy said. "It's like a night and day difference. She glows now. She has this energy. She smiles and laughs, she's confident, independent and strong… she's beautiful and flawless. It's incredible."

Rachel smiled softly as she scribbled on the notepad.

"Okay," Rachel said, looking over the paper. "I'm going to combine what we have here into a note and see what you think."

After a few minutes, Rachel slid the paper over to him and he began reading.

_Elizabeth Anne Sherman,_

_I missed you so much while you were away, but I can see by the way you glow since you've been back that the time was worth it. Seeing your smile alone makes it all worth it. You've come such a long way and have become a beautiful, strong young woman. I'm so proud of you and how far you've come._

_I wanted to thank you for the gifts you made me. I love the blanket most of all. It's the perfect size and I can tell you put a lot of love and effort into it. _

_I was wondering if you wanted to go to the beach with me sometime soon. The weather's supposed to be nice this weekend._

_Hellboy_

"This is good," Hellboy said. "It just doesn't really sound like something I'd say."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "People don't usually write letters the same way that they talk."

Hellboy nodded, seeing her point. He folded the note and put it in his pocket, telling himself he'd need to remember to re-write it in his own handwriting later.

"Thanks, Rachel," Hellboy said.

"Anytime," Rachel said. "If you need more advice, you know where I live and work. And drink."

Rachel gave a long, silent yawn, stretching her arms behind her head.

"Anyway…" Rachel said tiredly. "I think it's past my bedtime."

She walked down the hall and dug around in a little closet, pulling out a pillow and blanket. She walked back over to the couch and sat them on the far end.

"Make yourself at home," Rachel said. "Help yourself to a snack, watch TV… just don't wake me up unless it's an emergency. I get cranky as fuck when my sleep is disturbed."

They both laughed and Rachel retreated to her bedroom upstairs. Hellboy left the lamp on and laid his head down on the couch, wrapping the blanket around him. It wasn't quite long enough to cover his shoulders and hooves simultaneously, so he curled himself up as best he could.

His last conscious thought before he fell asleep was how he wished he had brought the blanket Liz had made him.


	18. Attempts

Hellboy awoke to the sound of quiet clattering and sizzling coming from the kitchen. He rolled off of the couch and went to go investigate.

He saw Rachel standing in front of the stove, still in her pajamas, which consisted of a tight spaghetti strap top and sleep shorts.

"Morning, sleepy head," Rachel greeted. "Breakfast is almost ready."

"You don't have a hangover?" Hellboy asked tiredly.

"Nope," Rachel said as she flipped a pancake. "I don't usually get them. It's kind of a superpower."

"Lucky…" Hellboy said, rubbing his left temple with his left hand.

"There's water in the fridge," Rachel said tenderly. "I'll get you some painkiller after I'm done here. Take a seat at the table – take it easy."

"You don't have to worry about me," Hellboy said. "I can take care of myself."

"I know," Rachel said. "But you're my guest and you got that hangover because of me. Let me take care of you."

"You're an angel, Rachel," Hellboy said as he slumped down on one of the kitchen chairs. "I want you to know that."

Rachel chuckled quietly to herself as she began plating the food. Scrambled eggs, bacon and chocolate chip pancakes. Rachel poured him a glass of orange juice and sat it beside him. She sat the plate carefully in front of him, making an effort to make as little noise as possible as not to upset his hangover.

Rachel pranced off into the back of her duplex apartment and came back with a bottle of ibuprofen, popping the cap off and sitting it on the table. She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and opened it for him.

"I'm not sure how much you need," Rachel said, shrugging. "So, I'll just leave it there."

"Thanks," Hellboy said, dumping a random amount of pills in his left hand and throwing them in his mouth. He chased the pills with the entire bottle of water, chugging it in 3 gulps.

"Did you just eat half the pill bottle?" Rachel asked, laughing.

"I take, like, five times the dose of most people," Hellboy explained. "The two pills you would take wouldn't have any affect on me. It's… it's weird."

"No," Rachel said, grabbing a bottle of syrup from the pantry and placing it on the table. "It makes sense. You're a lot bigger than most people."

She came over with her own plate and glass of orange juice and sat across from him.

"This looks great, Rachel," Hellboy said, feeling his stomach rumbling. "Thank you."

"No problem, baby," Rachel said sweetly. "We should do this more often. Maybe you could bring Liz next time…"

Hellboy couldn't help but smile as he dumped syrup over his pancakes. The idea of bringing Liz with him everywhere and integrating her into every aspect of his life thrilled him in every way. The concept of having her by his side, as a companion and mate, made his heart feel full.

"So," Hellboy started. "If she does want to go to the beach… what should we do?"

"I recommend a picnic," Rachel said. "Girls love food."

Hellboy nodded as he took a bite of bacon. "You're the expert."

"Damn skippy," Rachel said, taking a big bite of a pancake. "Hmm," She continued around the mouthful. "You should go later in the day and stay long enough to watch the sun set."

"Good idea," Hellboy said. "I think I'll hire you as my full time love coach. I wouldn't even think of half of this stuff on my own."

Rachel laughed amusedly. "Boys are just so… unimaginative."

"I can't really argue," Hellboy said, shrugging.

After some time, they finished eating and Rachel went to get dressed. Hellboy washed a few of her dishes while she was getting ready. They left the duplex and walked around the corner to retrieve his car from out in front of Atomic Ray's.

They saw Liz standing near the car, scanning the area. She turned and spotted Hellboy and Rachel walking toward her, and she started to wave at them.

Rachel waved, but Hellboy didn't, feeling odd at unexpectedly seeing her. It was almost a shock.

"Hey, Red," Liz greeted. "I was walking up to get breakfast and saw your car. I thought maybe you were in one of the shops or bars or something. I've been waiting here for about ten minutes. Where'd you guys come from?"

"I, uh…" Hellboy said, feeling horribly awkward. "I stayed the night at Rachel's. We met up for drinks last night and she didn't want me driving back home."

"Oh, so you two…?" Liz asked, letting the question hang in the air.

"No, no, no," Hellboy said, shaking his head. "Nothing like that. Just… hanging out. Just friends."

Liz looked at Rachel for confirmation, and Rachel nodded.

"Oh," Liz said. "Okay. So, um… did you guys want to get some breakfast?"

"Well, uh, Rachel already made breakfast," Hellboy said, looking sidelong at Rachel.

Rachel squinted at him ever so slightly, silently sending him a message of some sort.

"But I could go for a coffee," Hellboy went on after he picked up on Rachel's cue.

"I actually have somewhere to be," Rachel said. "But thanks for the offer. You two have fun."

They said their goodbyes and Rachel took back off in the direction of her apartment, leaving Liz and Hellboy alone.

Hellboy, feeling slightly braver after his counsel with Rachel, reached out and carefully grabbed Liz's right hand with his left. He gestured to his parked car with his stone hand.

"Your chariot awaits," He said playfully.

Liz smirked and allowed him to lead her, their hands still clasped. Hellboy let go of her hand and opened the passenger side door, waited for her to be fully seated and carefully shut the door behind her. They drove until they got to Smith's Café.

Once they got there, they sat at their usual booth seat. Liz ordered an omelet and an orange juice, and Hellboy got a medium black coffee, which Liz found strange, but didn't openly question it.

"You sure there's nothing growing between you and Rachel?" Liz asked, smiling. "I mean… going out for drinks, staying at her place? She made you breakfast?"

"It was all pretty impromptu," Hellboy said.

"I felt this weird energy between you two," Liz said as she picked at her omelet with a fork. "Like you guys had some dirty little secret."

Hellboy felt his throat tighten a little.

"I can assure you," He said. "There's nothing going on between me and Rachel. We're just friends."

"Friends with benefits?" Liz asked teasingly.

"No," Hellboy said, perhaps a little too defensively. "I'd never do that. If I'm going to have that kind of relationship with someone, we need to be dating first."

"You're so repressed, Red," Liz said, taking a bite of her omelet. "One-night stands and friends with benefits can be fun. A _lot _of fun."

Hellboy was curious. He knew Liz had done things with boys, although she never came right out and said it; only hinted. And he wasn't sure how far she had gotten.

"Oh, you're a professional on one-night stands?" Hellboy asked.

"It's not like I've done it a billion times," Liz said. "I've had a few encounters, and they were mostly fun."

Hellboy nodded and smiled. "I don't mean to pry. It's not my business."

"I'm just saying…" Liz said, picking up her glass of orange juice. "Rachel could… teach you a few things. Get you ready for, ya know… the real thing."

"Actually," Hellboy said. "We talked last night, and she gave me some pointers."

Liz almost spit out her juice.

"Whoa," Liz said. "So, you're actually curious about sex now? Never thought I'd see the day."

Hellboy shrugged. "Talking's no substitute for the real thing, but I feel prepared enough for it if it ever does happen."

Hellboy took a sip of his coffee, which was still hot enough to have scalded a normal person's mouth to hell and back. They sat in silence for a few moments.

"So..." Liz said, breaking up the silence. "I'm meeting up with Zach later. I'm... I don't know. I'm kind of nervous about it."

Hellboy felt his heart drop, and hoped that it didn't show.

"Why?" Hellboy asked casually, not letting on that the mere mention of Zach made him feel slightly jealous and territorial.

"I don't know," Liz said. "I really don't. It's just coffee – we're just going out for coffee. I mean, you and I have gone out for coffee a gazillion times. It's nothing to be nervous about."

Hellboy had to keep himself from trying to formulate a way to get Zach out of the picture. He could quite easily get Zach transferred, but he stopped himself from dwelling on that. He wasn't going to resort to childish, immature tactics. He wanted to get Liz to himself fair and square, without being a brute and simply taking her other options, like Zach, away from her. He needed to find a way to get Liz to naturally choose him.

"Don't be nervous," Hellboy said. "Zach seems like a good kid. You'll have fun."

"I don't know how long we're going to be out," Liz said. "But if it's not too late, did you want me to come by your place?"

"Sure," Hellboy said. "That'd be cool."

Hellboy thought back to the note that Rachel had helped him write.

"Do you know if you're going to be busy this weekend?" He asked.

"I don't think I am," Liz said. "I shouldn't be. Why?"

"Ooh, just wondering…" Hellboy said, purposely vague and mysterious.

"Tell me," Liz said, laughing and kicking him in the shin under the table.

"I'll only tell you if you're not busy," Hellboy said with finality.

"Okay," Liz said. "Then I guess I'll be sure to keep my schedule clear if anything pops up."

"Good," Hellboy said with a nod and took a swig of his coffee.

.

.

.

Liz and Hellboy spent the entire day together, right up until Zach came to meet up with her.

Hellboy was almost thankful for it, in a way. It was becoming almost unbearable being so close to her lips and not being able to kiss them. His heart was wore out from trying to leap out of his ribcage each time Liz would laugh, make direct eye contact, touch him, or quite literally do anything.

He hunkered down at his desk in his apartment and began copying the letter down. For the first time in his life, he was relieved that he had relatively nice handwriting. After he was done, he folded up the letter and tucked it into the bottom drawer of his desk, just in case Liz went snooping around for some reason. He didn't want her to find it before he was ready to give it to her.

Since the note was quite short, it barely took any time to copy. Hellboy was at a loss of how to fill the rest of his evening, never being the type that thought very far ahead.

Hellboy sighed and got up, grabbing a water bottle from his fridge and heading off to the gym. He was happy to discover that, like usual, nobody else was in there. He didn't completely close the door behind him, leaving it open by a few inches.

Hellboy walked over to the flat weight bench and put 400 lbs. of weight onto the bar. He laid supine and, almost effortlessly, began lifting, the bar straining slightly. Just as he began to wonder how long he'd be at this before he got bored and what he should do after, he felt someone straddling his hips.

Alarmed and still holding the barbell in the air, he looked down and saw Faith sitting directly on his crotch, her legs hanging off either side of him and wrapped under the bench. She was still wearing her work clothes, which consisted of a yellow blouse, which was tucked into a black skirt. Her skirt was hiked up around her waist, and just managing to conceal whatever was underneath it.

Hellboy noticed her high heels had been taken off and placed near the door, which explained why he didn't hear her approach. She must have taken them off and walked all the way to the gym after she saw him heading in this direction. The door had been closed and locked, which she must have done painstakingly slow for him to not have heard her.

After a moment of staring at her in confusion and a little shock, Hellboy put the barbell up on the hook and found his voice.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"I'm spotting you," Faith said teasingly.

Faith began unbuttoning her blouse and it became apparent she wasn't wearing a bra when he noticed her nipples pushing the fabric outward.

"Get off me," Hellboy said quietly.

"No," Faith said, smiling. "You need a spotter, silly."

She had the top half of her blouse unbuttoned, but it stayed closed and covered her large breasts, since the lower half was tucked snuggly into her skirt. Despite himself, Hellboy could feel himself getting hard beneath her.

"Faith," Hellboy growled. "I said… get off of me."

"Mmm…" Faith said, thinking. She laid her hands flat on his chest and looked down at him, causing her breasts to move with gravity and push downward against her blouse. "No, not yet."

Hellboy became frustrated at himself for not pushing her off of him, but he was met with even more frustration when he realized that it wasn't quite that simple. Her legs were locked around the weight bench and attempting to move her in any way might result in her being injured.

Faith dragged her nails across his chest, causing his skin to turn from deep crimson to a slightly lighter shade wherever her nails raked. She smiled in delight as she felt his cock swell beneath her groin.

"You feel so big," Faith reveled. "I knew you'd be hung, but my god…"

Hellboy gritted his teeth, waiting for the right opportunity to escape.

Faith pulled her blouse away from one of her breasts, causing Hellboy to become fully erect in seconds at the sight.

"Oh, you liked that," Faith said, laughing.

She reached down to feel his cock through his pants and smiled with delight. Her eyes widened a little when she realized how big it really was.

"My god…" Faith said in astonishment. "It's… it has to be ten inches. You've been holding out on me."

Hellboy looked away from her, trying to will his hard-on away in the hopes that she would lose interest and move on, giving him a chance to escape, but no such luck – the weight of her groin and the knowledge that one of her breasts were exposed was enough to ensure that his hard-on wasn't going away any time soon.

"Faith, I'm serious," Hellboy said. "I don't know what I have to say or do to get through to you, but I don't want you. Now get off of me."

"Nobody says no to me," Faith said as she started undoing his pants.

Hellboy realized that, while he couldn't exactly move her without possibly hurting her, he could at least stop her. He reached down and grabbed one of her wrists in his left hand, not wanting to risk using his large right hand. This wouldn't make it impossible for her to undo his pants, but it would slow her down.

"Let go of me," Faith warned. "I'll yell rape if you don't."

Hellboy was taken aback by her statement; shocked. He knew Faith could be sketchy, but he hadn't imagined that she was this manipulative. He felt sickened as he let go of her wrist.

Her hands went back to his crotch and made little work of his button and zipper. His cock had found its way through the slit in his boxers long ago, so when Faith unsnapped the button, his rock-hard erection came springing out, resting against his stomach.

"Dear sweet Jesus," Faith said, voice shaking slightly with excitement. "This has to be the biggest cock I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot."

__I'll bet you have, you tramp__… Hellboy thought angrily.

Faith was transfixed on his penis, mesmerized. She touched it, but not sexually. It was as if she was trying to convince herself that it was, indeed, really there and really real. She wrapped her hand around the base suddenly and squeezed, causing Hellboy to jerk with surprise and almost forget the risks if he got up off the bench with Faith's legs so tightly wrapped around it.

Faith spit in her free hand and brought it down to his massive cock, stroking with both hands. Hellboy involuntarily moaned with pleasure.

"You act like you don't like it," Faith said as she professionally stroked his cock. "Yet, here you are… rock-hard and moaning. Are you gonna cum for me?"

She brought a hand up to her mouth and spit in it again, then quickly returned it back to his enormous scarlet manhood, her soft hands sliding effortlessly over his shaft and head. He could feel himself nearing orgasm, and he was full of self-hatred for it.

"Do you want me to suck you off, baby?" Faith purred breathlessly, her one exposed breast bouncing as she pumped. "Do you want me to swallow for you? I've wanted to taste you for so long."

Latching on to the opportunity, Hellboy nodded.

Smiling, Faith dismounted and made a grab for his erection and nearly fell over when Hellboy swiftly rolled off of the weight bench, pulling his pants up as he ran for the door. Faith had almost closed the gap between them when Hellboy panicked and busted the door off its hinges, stepping on the door as he ran.

Nobody was in the immediate area and Faith was still hot on his heels, her bare feet slapping on the linoleum. Hellboy had managed to, somehow, get his pants zipped and buttoned, and his erection tucked away. He just hoped it wasn't too noticeable in case he did run into anyone on his mad dash back to his apartment.

Hellboy was fast, but so was Faith, so she was able to keep up quite well, much to his aggravation. A group of agents saw him barreling down the hall and quickly moved out of his way and watched as Faith pursued close behind.

Hellboy finally arrived at his apartment and managed to close and lock the door behind him just a split second before Faith got to it. He went out into his garage, making sure that both of his back doors, and all of the windows, were locked as well.

He sat down on his bed, feeling breathless, but not from the physical exertion of running all the way back to his place. That was nothing to him. He could have made that run 20 times before he even began to feel the effects. He felt physically drained because of the unwanted sexual contact.

His mind was swimming in a flurry of mixed-up emotions. He had been so physically aroused, yet so mentally repulsed at the same time. If he had allowed Faith to suck him off, he wouldn't have lasted more than 5 seconds, he had been so close to cumming. If she had never dismounted him, and had kept him locked in place, he would have came in moments, despite how much he hated the interaction.

As he sat on his bed, he noticed that his erection had mostly gone away and he breathed a sigh of relief. Deciding that he didn't want Faith's saliva on his cock anymore, he headed into the bathroom, disrobed and got in the shower.

After he got out and dried off, he slipped on a pair of clean boxers and workout shorts and laid back on his beanbag chair. He flipped on the television and saw Planet of the Apes was just starting. Smiling to himself, he got up to grab some snacks, knowing what he'd be doing for the next 112 minutes.

.

.

.

Just as the movie finished, there was a knock on Hellboy's door, causing him to jolt and lose almost half of his trail mix on the floor. He quietly sighed, seeing that a large portion of the mix that the floor had claimed were M&M's.

"Ashes to ashes…" He mumbled.

Hellboy quietly got up and went over to the door. Another knock erupted, a little louder this time.

"Hellboy?" Liz asked from the other side of the door.

He breathed a sigh of relief, happy to know it wasn't Faith. He pulled the door open and Liz stood there with a blank expression. Without saying anything, she walked by him and into his apartment. He closed the door behind her, making a point to lock it.

"How'd it go?" Hellboy asked.

"Meh…" Liz said, plopping down on his bed and kicking her shoes off. "Not bad… not good, either."

"How so?"

"Well, I dunno," Liz said, placing her head on his pillow and curling up into a fetal position. "He's just… kind of boring, I guess? That's not the worst thing ever, to be boring. There are way worse things you can be than boring, but he's just kind of underwhelming. Plus, he gave me a big lecture when I pulled out a cigarette."

Hellboy didn't like to hear that she didn't have a great time, but his heart rejoiced at the news all the same. There was still hope, and he didn't have to be immature to create that hope.

"I'm sorry," Hellboy said.

"Nah, it's cool," Liz said. "He'll just be eye candy, I guess."

Hellboy smiled, grabbing his pack of Chesterfield's off his dresser. He pulled out 2 cigarettes and brought the ashtray Liz had made for him over to his bed. He sat the ashtray on his nightstand and handed Liz one of the cigarettes.

"To eye candy," Hellboy said with pseudo exuberance, tapping the end of his cigarette to hers as if he were toasting.

Liz smiled warmly up at him from his bed. She raised her index finger up to the tip of the cigarette in his hand and easily lit it. She did the same to her own, taking a few puffs before sitting upright so she could tap the ashes off in the handmade ashtray.

Liz sat her cigarette in the ashtray so she could pull her baggy, black hoodie off. Just before her head had made it out of the hole, and her hair was being pulled up and away from her shoulders, Hellboy noticed a deep, purple and red mark on the base of her neck that caused him to flinch.

"Whoa," He said when her face was visible again. "What happened to your neck?"

"What?" Liz asked, confused for a moment. "Oh, yeah… that was Zach…"

"He hurt you?" Hellboy asked, concern growing.

Liz looked at him, dumbfounded, until she caught on.

"Oooh…" She said, covering her mouth. "You don't know what a hickie is…"

"Hickie?" Hellboy asked, taking a drag off his cigarette.

"It's something you do when you're making out sometimes," Liz explained, grabbing her cigarette out of the ashtray. "You pretty much just suck on their neck. Sometimes you bite or lick."

"And that's… enjoyable?" Hellboy asked. "People like that?"

"I normally love it," Liz said bitterly. "But the way Zach did it… yeesh. Felt like he was just trying to drool on me and chew a hole through my larynx."

Hellboy was honestly confused at the concept of having his neck sucked on. He didn't imagine it could possibly be enjoyable. In the heat of the moment, maybe, but before the actual sex started?

"Does it really feel all that great?" Hellboy asked, sitting next to her. "Sounds kind of… gross."

"It feels amazing if it's done right," Liz assured him.

"I'll just take your word for it," Hellboy said, chuckling and taking a drag off of his cigarette.

"I could show you," Liz said, tucking some hair behind her ear. "If you're okay with that."

"Show me?" Hellboy asked. "How?"

"Tilt your head back," Liz said, placing her cigarette back in the ashtray and getting up on her knees.

Hellboy felt adrenaline pump through his body as he realized what she intended to do. His left palm became cold, clammy, his heart thumped wildly in his chest.

"Uh… okay," Hellboy said reluctantly, obeying her order and exposing his neck.

"Okay," Liz said, grabbing his shoulder. "Don't freak out, okay? It tickles a little at first."

"Okay…" Hellboy said, staring up at the ceiling.

He felt Liz's lips connect with the warm flesh of his neck and fought the urge to laugh and squirm away. She was right – it most certainly did tickle, but he managed to remain still. He felt her lips part and make a little 'O,' and she began sucking.

"It feels kind of weird," Hellboy said honestly. "Kind of… awkward."

Liz took her mouth away from his neck, laughing a little.

"Well," She said. "I'm not exactly doing it right. I'm just kind of showing you the basic idea. I can show you the normal way, if you want."

"If you think it'll make any difference," Hellboy said, shrugging.

He was excited at the intimate contact from Liz, but he wasn't getting much of anything from what she was doing; this hickie thing.

Liz went back to her demonstration, and this time… it felt kind of amazing. It was like she was making out with his neck, her tongue dragging over his skin and teasing the flesh, sucking the skin outward and into her mouth, dragging her teeth over it. She only did it for a few brief moments, but Hellboy became rock-hard in record time.

Just before Liz took her mouth away, Hellboy subtly placed his stone fist over his lap in an attempt to conceal his erection.

"Was that any better?" Liz asked.

"I guess it's not really my thing," Hellboy lied. "It still feels kind of odd."

Liz shrugged and swiped her cigarette back out of the ashtray.

"Well, I tried," She said, raising the cigarette to her lips.

Hellboy popped his cigarette back in his mouth and wiped away the ashes that he had accidentally let fall onto his bed while Liz attempted to give him a hickie. He tried to think of how he could get his hard-on to vanish before she noticed.

"So, what did you do while I was out?" Liz asked, looking over at his beanbag chair. "I see you had a spill on aisle four. Trail mix?"

"That happened when you knocked," Hellboy said. "I thought you were… someone else."

"And who might this someone else be that would make you dump one of the best snacks ever known to man all over your floor?"

"Faith," Hellboy said in a hushed tone, stamping his cigarette out in the ashtray.

"She scares you all of a sudden?" Liz inquired.

"A lot happened while you were gone…" Hellboy said.

"Do tell," Liz pressed.

"She… pretty much raped me," Hellboy said, leaning back against the wall.

Liz was quiet as she looked at him. It almost looked as though she was trying to see if he was pulling her leg. When he remained serious, she leaned closer to him, talking gently.

"Red, I'm sorry," She began. "But Faith only weighs, like, a hundred pounds and I've seen you lift way more than that at the gym like it's nothing. You're saying she overpowered you?"

"No," Hellboy said. "She must have followed me into the gym and locked the door. I didn't hear her or see her until she was sitting on my lap. She wrapped her legs around the weight bench and started…" He made a jerking motion with his hand. "If I tried to get her off of me, she could have gotten hurt. I tried to grab her wrist to get her to stop when she was undoing my pants, but she threatened to call for help and make it look like I was the one raping her."

Liz looked at him, eyes growing wide with concern. "How did you get away?"

"I don't know if she knew that her legs being locked was the only thing keeping me in place," Hellboy explained. "If she did, she either got caught up in the moment and forgot or thought that I wasn't going to go anywhere when she got up. She asked if I wanted her to give me a…" He gestured to his mouth. "You know. I nodded, because that meant she had to got off my lap."

Liz stamped her cigarette out in the ashtray.

"I took the chance to run," Hellboy went on. "Busted down the gym door by accident. She chased me all the way back here."

"Goddamn," Liz said. "Did you tell anyone?"

"Nah," Hellboy said, finally satisfied that his hard-on had completely gone away. He moved his stone hand off to the side.

"Well, ya probably should," Liz urged. "That's kind of a big deal."

"It's not really something I want getting out," Hellboy said. "It's kind of embarrassing."

"Rape usually is kind of embarrassing, yeah," Liz said, nodding.

"It's just that…" Hellboy started, struggling to find the words. "I feel like nobody would really believe me. And I'm not sure what would be done about it if they did believe me."

"You should still at least report it," Liz said.

"I'm just gonna let it go," Hellboy said. "I feel like me saying 'no' to her is punishment enough. Probably bruised her ego. I don't think she's ever had anyone tell her no until today."

"Fuck that," Liz said, shaking her head. "Report her. Don't let her just get away with touching you like that."

"I seem to recall a time when I wanted you to report some boys for touching you inappropriately," Hellboy said. "I backed off when you told me to."

Liz bit her bottom lip and raised her eyebrows. He _did _have a point.

"Want me to tell her off for you at least?" Liz asked.

"No, no," Hellboy said. "If she tries to pull anything, I'll be ready. I can handle her."

"Just don't sit or lay down around her, ever," Liz said sarcastically.

"I'll get her transferred if she keeps harassing me," Hellboy said. "I appreciate your concern, but just let me handle it. Okay?"

Liz paused, considering his request.

"Okay, but I can't promise you anything," Liz said. "If I see her bothering you, I have to say something."

"Well," Hellboy said. "She seems to back off a little when you're around. When you're not around is when she gets bold, and does crap like this."

Liz smiled. "Are you asking me to be your personal bodyguard?"

"I mean," Hellboy said, putting his hands up. "Call it whatever you want…"

Liz clapped him on the back. "I guess I could do that for you. You've protected me for so long, I should return the favor."

Hellboy couldn't help but smile as he looked over at her. In those few moments, he was lost in admiration of her physical beauty. Her vibrant amber eyes, her long, silky auburn hair, her full, naturally pink lips, her smooth, pale skin…

She was so close to him. Less than a foot separated them. All he had to do was close the gap, and their lips would meet.

__No__, Hellboy told himself. __You need to make sure she's okay with it. You're not making the first physical move, remember? Consent, consent, consent___… ___'baby steps,' like Rachel told you…__

Hellboy decided he had to give Liz the note. He'd slide it under her door tonight after he was sure she'd gone to bed. He had to get the ball rolling on winning her over. Not being able to be affectionate with her the way he wanted to be was becoming torturous.

It took every ounce of willpower he had to not press his lips to hers, but he managed to abstain.

"Well," Liz said and got up from his bed. "I need to head to bed a little early tonight. I got some training in the morning."

"Training?" Hellboy asked.

"I meant to tell you," Liz said. "Got a little sidetracked talking about… unpleasant things. But, yeah… I applied for becoming a field agent and they want me to begin training immediately."

"Oh," Hellboy said, taken a little off guard by how rapidly things were moving along.

"Are you upset?" Liz asked, raising a brow.

"No," Hellboy said. "I just didn't expect you to be going for it this quickly. It's great, though. I'm proud. What kind of training are they having you do?"

"I'm assuming obstacle course stuff," Liz said, shrugging. "That's what Zach made it sound like they do. I barely got to ask him about anything because he was too busy using my neck like a spittoon." She shivered. "Speaking of which, he's gonna be there. I'm not sure how to let him down gently."

"Am I gonna have to be your bodyguard, too?" Hellboy asked, only partially joking.

"Ooh, trust me," Liz said, holding up a fist that gradually became engulfed in flame. "I can handle myself, and, unlike you, I'm not afraid of hurting anyone who threatens me."

Hellboy could feel himself becoming just slightly aroused at her badass attitude.

"Good point," Hellboy said.

"I don't want to hurt his feelings," Liz said, letting the fire die out until it was no more. "He really is such a nice boy… he's just so damn _boring_. I didn't feel a connection, but I feel like he did."

"I can't blame him," Hellboy said. "It'd be hard not to feel a connection with you."

Hellboy paused, wondering if he had actually just said that out loud. When he realized that he had, panic set in for a moment before Liz's face broadened into a smile.

"Aww," She said, reaching over to pat him on the shoulder. "Thanks, Red."

__Risky__, Hellboy thought. __Smooth… but risky.__

"So," Liz said. "It's past my bedtime. I need to get up bright and early."

She leaned forward and grabbed Hellboy in a hug, squeezing him tightly. He returned the hug with his left arm, feeling lightheaded at the floral scent of her shampoo. They released each other after a few seconds.

"What time are you getting up?" Hellboy asked.

"I'm setting my alarm for seven," Liz said, slipping her shoes back on. "We start around eight."

Hellboy nodded. "Well, you have fun."

"I'll try," Liz said as she walked out the door.

Hellboy got up to lock the door after a few moments, somewhat paranoid that Faith might be nearby, waiting for an opportunity to sneak in, despite the fact that she would have left HQ long ago when her shift ended.

But he couldn't be sure at this point. She had already proved to Hellboy in the past that she was slightly nuts, and her little episode today was the icing on the crazy cake. The girl couldn't possibly be mentally stable. For all he knew, she could have purposely decided to hang around the facility to catch him off guard.

When Hellboy turned back around, he saw that Liz had forgotten her hoodie on his bed. His first instinct was to run it over to Liz at her apartment, but he stopped himself.

His first reason for not bringing it over to her was because that meant he had to leave his apartment and risk possibly running into Faith, on the not-so-off chance that she was still there. He wanted to wait until it was later in the night before he left his apartment. The later it was, the less likely she would be there.

His second reason was something that, honestly, kind of creeped him out: He wanted to sleep with the hoodie. It was Liz's. It had touched her skin. It had her smells on it. Having the hoodie in his bed and cuddling with it was the closest he could come to cuddling with Liz, and that excited him.

He turned on his television set, set his alarm for 5:57 am and laid down in bed. He wrapped the hoodie in his arms and pressed his nose down to it. It definitely had Liz's smells trapped in the fabric. Love's Baby Soft, patchouli, Chesterfield cigarettes and just a hint of coffee.

His neck growing sore at the odd angle he was holding his head in, Hellboy decided to stuff his pillow inside the hoodie, essentially using it as a pillowcase. He smooshed the side of his face as deep into the pillow as he could, breathing in the scents. He pulled the blanket Liz had made him over his shoulders and curled into a fetal position.

Hellboy closed his eyes, attempting to create the illusion that he was laying on Liz's chest.

Despite barely feeling tired at all and not intending to fall asleep yet, that's exactly what happened. It wasn't a gradual process. If it had been, he might have been able to keep himself awake long enough to slide the note under Liz's door like he had intended to.

But instead, he slept peacefully through the night until his alarm clock woke him.


	19. In The Morning

Hellboy's alarm clock roused him out of the most perfect sleep he'd had in recent memory, nearly making him angrily bring his stone fist down on it like a sledgehammer. He, thankfully, stopped himself as he got his wits about him and remembered why he had set his alarm to such an ungodly hour.

He wanted to make Liz breakfast.

He realized he had forgotten to slide the note under her door, but decided that it could wait until she left for her training.

Hellboy got out of bed, not needing to grope around in the dark for the light switch since he never turned the light off to begin with. He got dressed, stuffed the note deep within his pocket and headed out of his apartment to the main kitchen. He scrambled a few eggs, cooked some bacon and made a couple pieces of toast. He didn't want to make too much food in case Liz had to do a lot of intense movement.

He plated up the food and looked at the clock, determining that Liz should almost be ready to be walking out of her door by now. Just as he walked up to her door and prepared to knock, she opened it from the other side and let out a gasp at unexpectedly seeing him.

"Oh, my gosh," Liz said, covering her chest and closing her eyes. "You scared the hell out of me."

"Sorry," Hellboy said.

"Damn…" Liz said, laughing. "If I wasn't awake before, I am now."

"I come bearing food," Hellboy said, holding the plate out to her.

"That you do," Liz said, sounding pleased. "I was just gonna grab a Pop-Tart or something."

"That has next to no nutritional value," Hellboy said disapprovingly. "It's a bad idea to eat something like that first thing in the morning."

"Okay, __mom__," Liz said, grabbing a piece of toast off of the plate that he still held and taking a bite.

Liz walked back into her apartment and Hellboy followed, closing the door behind them. She sat down at the kitchen table and he sat across from her, sliding the plate over to her. She began eating the scrambled eggs.

"Thanks," Liz said after she swallowed. "I feel special. You hardly get out of bed early for anything."

"No problem," Hellboy said. "I wanted to show my support."

It meant a lot to Liz to hear him say that. She had gotten the vibe that Hellboy didn't want her to pursue a career with the BPRD for a multitude of reasons, ranging from how potentially dangerous it could be to being scared about how quickly she was growing up. In the past, when it almost seemed like he was trying to talk her out of it, it never made Liz angry or resentful because she knew his motive for doing so was coming from a place of love and that he wouldn't stand in her way.

Liz glanced at the clock and slid the half-eaten breakfast away, getting up from the table.

"I'm gonna have to get to the front office for roll call," Liz said. "You can have the rest if you want."

"Wait," Hellboy said, walking over to her fridge. He pulled out a bottled water and handed it to her. "Stay hydrated."

"I will, mom," Liz said, grabbing the water and patting him on the shoulder. "Lock up when you leave, okay?"

"Will do," Hellboy said, waving.

She disappeared out the door, closing it behind her. Hellboy dug the note out of his pocket and began thinking of a good place to put it; a place that she was sure to see it.

Her bed would seem a little too personal, he thought. Plus, he didn't like going into her bedroom without her being present, even though he was positive she wouldn't mind it. It was just something he never felt very comfortable doing. It felt like trespassing.

After a while, he decided the couch in the living room would be the best place for it. It was in a neutral area that was frequently visited. She was more likely to see it on the couch than she was anywhere else.

He placed the note on the couch, right in the center of the middle cushion where it stuck out like a sore thumb, white against the charcoal grey fabric. Hellboy stood and stared at the note for a moment, wondering if he had enough time to run into town and get a box of chocolates, flowers or something to accompany the note before Liz got back.

__Would that seem too obvious__? Hellboy pondered to himself.

He had to remind himself of his 'baby steps' mantra, backing off of the idea of adding anything else. He walked out of Liz's apartment, locking the door behind him as she had requested. Out in the hall was Abe, standing as if he had been waiting on Hellboy to come out.

"Hey," Hellboy said. "How long have you been out here?"

"For about thirty seconds," Abe said. "Agent Richards asked me to come retrieve you for a meeting."

Hellboy would have asked how Abe knew where he was, or how he knew he was even awake to attend a meeting in the first place, but Hellboy already knew the answer.

"Thanks, pal," Hellboy said, instinctively reaching out his left flesh hand to pat Abe on the shoulder.

As soon as the contact was made, Hellboy realized his mistake. Abe's eyes opened slightly wider and he suddenly seemed unable to decide whether he wanted to look at Hellboy or avert his gaze.

__Fuck__, Hellboy thought. __He knows___._

Abe's face wasn't capable of too much expression, but he seemed to try to force a smile, as if he were uncomfortable and trying to conceal the discomfort.

"No problem," Abe said, his voice unreadable.

Abe began to walk in the direction he came and Hellboy walked after him.

"Hey, Abe," He said, keeping pace with him.

"Yes?" Abe asked, standing stock-still and looking up at Hellboy.

"Could you…" Hellboy started, fidgeting with his hands. "Do you think you could keep this between us? I don't want her to know… not yet, anyway."

Abe nodded. Hellboy knew that Abe knew all of this already, but Hellboy didn't feel right treating him differently because of his superhuman status. He still wanted to have the customary man-to-man talk.

"I won't breathe a word of it," Abe promised.

Hellboy patted him on the shoulder again, since the worst of it was over. He had already discovered the secret and Hellboy was certain Abe could and would keep it.

They parted ways, since Abe wasn't technically an agent and didn't attend the meetings. Hellboy always encouraged him to apply, and mentioned that he probably wouldn't even need to apply since he had superhuman abilities, but Abe was still unsure of many things. He was unsure of his appearance and didn't even really like being seen around HQ. He was also unsure of his past and what he even was. He wanted to either get answers, or become comfortable enough in his own skin before he got out in the field.

Hellboy couldn't help but feel badly for Abe. He saw much of himself in the fish-man. Abe was much more timid and intelligent than he was, but if you took those components out, they were damn near in the same boat, except Hellboy at least knew his own origins and place in the world, no matter how unpleasant it all was.

Abe had also explained to Hellboy that he wasn't sure how effective he would be in the field. Hellboy always encouraged him and tried to make him see how much potential he had, how much good he could do. Hellboy had made it a goal of his to get Abe to cave and apply, knowing that he could find the purpose he was searching for in helping people.

Hellboy wandered into the meeting and barely paid an iota of attention the entire time.

.

.

.

After the meeting let out, Hellboy went outside to the obstacle course. He saw about a dozen recruits – some familiar, some not – running around one of the tracks. One of the younger female recruits tripped over her own feet when she caught a glimpse of him. She stood up and dusted herself off, continuing on the track, still throwing glances over her shoulder at him.

With his enhanced eyesight, he saw Liz off in the distance, Zach struggling to keep up with her. He seemed to be talking incessantly, and, if Hellboy was reading her lips correctly, she kept responding to him with an alternation of 'oh, wow' and 'that's crazy.'

This made Hellboy happy. Liz only ever did that when she wanted the other person to stop talking, but was too polite to tell them to buzz off.

He noticed Liz would roll her eyes every now and then when Zach wasn't looking at her. This made Hellboy chuckle.

Zach was eventually unable to keep up with Liz, probably because he was using all of the air in his lungs for pointless babbling, and she left him in the dust, sprinting across the finish line.

"Sherman," The woman holding the stopwatch barked as she hit a button. "Second fastest time. Astounding."

Liz smiled, running over to Hellboy. She jumped up into his arms and he caught her with ease, holding her bridal style.

"Sorry if I'm sweaty and gross," She said, panting, a few loose strands of her auburn hair sticking to her damp forehead and face.

"You're not always sweaty," Hellboy said teasingly. "But you're always gross, so I'm used to it."

Liz grunted, reached up and gave him a light smack on the cheek.

"Take your queen to your apartment," Liz demanded. "I wish to soak in your Jacuzzi."

Hellboy felt like a deer in headlights for a moment. All he could think of was Liz in his bathroom, naked, sopping wet and covered in soap, a door the only thing separating them.

__Should I tell her to just shower at her place instead___? _Hellboy asked himself. __Will I be able to control myself, or will I lose it and break the door down…___?_

Hellboy began walking back into HQ, deciding that he was being silly. Of course he could control himself. He respected and loved Liz too much to do something she didn't expressly want. He'd be lying if he said there wasn't temptation – and a __lot__of it, at that – but he knew that he wouldn't allow himself to do anything that would make her uncomfortable.

They entered Hellboy's apartment, and he got a little thrill when he carried her over the threshold. He wondered, if they did become romantically involved, if she would accept his proposal of marriage. He wondered how long he should wait before he proposed, because he already had it made up in his mind that he wanted to marry her.

Hellboy carefully lowered her to the floor and she walked over to his dresser, pulling out a pair of workout shorts and a black BPRD shirt.

"I'll be done in maybe a half an hour," Liz said. "Look for a monster flick for us to watch, and have snacks ready."

"Yes, my queen," Hellboy said, only partially joking, as he walked over to the television, plopping down on the beanbag chair and grabbing the remote.

"I have to say," Liz said. "You're one of the best servants I've ever had in my employ."

Hellboy smiled at her as she disappeared into his bathroom, closing the door behind her. He heard the water gushing out of the faucet and his imagination got away from him.

He imagined her peeling her shirt from her slightly damp body, revealing her bra and pale torso. The shirt hit the floor and her shorts were quick to follow, revealing her panties. She removed her bra, her small breasts hanging freely. The bra was discarded in a small pile with her shirt and shorts. She carefully pulled her panties off, bending over to guide them to her ankles. She stepped out of them and got in the Jacuzzi, the bubbles covering her chest.

He imagined taking his own clothing off and climbing in with her. He imagined submerging under the water and putting his face between her legs, running his tongue up and down her slit, causing her to close her eyes and tilt her head back in ecstasy.

Hellboy came back to reality, realizing that he was growing hard at his thoughts. He forced the scenario out of his mind and focused back on finding a suitable movie, flipping through the channels. He was confused, as Liz had come over to use his Jacuzzi dozens of times, and he never thought anything even remotely like this.

He remembered, with a sudden shock, that he still had Liz's hoodie slipped over his pillow. He turned around to his bed. The only reason she probably didn't notice it was because Hellboy had tucked the sleeves and hood beneath his pillow, causing it to look like a black pillowcase rather than a hoodie. He was glad, because he wasn't sure he would have been able to come up with a believable excuse if she started asking questions.

Hellboy got up off his beanbag and carefully pulled the hoodie off of his pillow, laying it across the back of his desk chair. He leaned down and gave one of the sleeves a final smell before returning to the beanbag chair.

He sighed, wondering why he was acting like this. He was acting like some creepy, sex-starved teenager, but he wasn't sure how to make it stop. He was thankful he at least had a target for his odd behavior and wasn't doing this to every female he crossed paths with.

If that were the case, he would have been much more willing with Faith; essentially taking it where he could get it. But he had standards. Faith was great to look at, but he wasn't in love with her in the slightest; he was actually quite repulsed by her in many ways. He wasn't about to jump into bed with just anyone, despite how tempting it was. Faith made it incredibly tempting, just to see what sex was like, but he always held back, reminding himself that he wasn't an animal.

But, with Liz… Liz made him feel like an animal. He felt protective, territorial, oversexed. He wanted her as a lover and partner, but also as a mate. He wanted her heart and mind as well as her body.

Hellboy saw that The Thing From Another World was about to come on and remained on that channel. He got up to look for snacks, pulling out a bag of trail mix and a box of Cheez-Its. He sat them near his beanbag chair and yanked some blankets off of his bed, making a little nest of sorts for them.

Hellboy heard the water from his Jacuzzi being sucked down the drain, and moments later, Liz walked out of the bathroom, a billow of steam pouring out behind her. She was wearing his clothing, practically drowning in them because they were several sizes too big.

Hellboy sat on the beanbag chair and looked over at her.

"You know," He said. "You can leave some of your own clothes here so you don't have to swim around in mine."

Liz shrugged, causing the neck of the shirt to slip over her right shoulder.

"I like wearing your clothes," She said. "It's comfy, how big they are."

Her statement filled him with excitement, and seeing her in his clothes was kind of… well, kind of sexy. It was as if he had claimed her in some way. She was in __his__apartment in __his__clothes. In some small way, even though he knew it was odd to think this way, he felt as though Liz belonged to him.

She had said 'I like wearing your clothes.' Therefore, she liked to be his.

"What movie we watchin'?" Liz asked, pulling Hellboy out of his reverie.

"Oh, um…" Hellboy fumbled over his words. "Right. The Thing From Another World."

"Excellent." Liz said as she came over to sit next to Hellboy on the beanbag chair.

It was the oddest thing. Hellboy and Liz had done this countless times. She would come over, they would gorge themselves on snacks while watching some cheesy monster flick and just generally enjoy each others company. But, to Hellboy at least, this time it felt different.

As the movie started, and Liz began munching on Cheez-Its, Hellboy got the sudden urge to put his arm around her, or to lay on her chest or for her to lay on his. Smelling the fragrance of his body wash lightly coming off of her skin, he had the sudden urge to give her a… what had she called it? Hickie? She had said that she loved hickies, if they were done correctly.

Hellboy hoped that, if the time ever came, he would do it to her liking. He just had to remember the way she had done it to him. That had felt spectacular.

Hellboy felt his cock begin to stiffen in his pants at the memory of her sucking on his neck and, as casually as possible, pulled the blanket Liz had made him up to his shoulders.

Liz looked down at the blanket and smiled. "So, it is the right size. Awesome."

"Yep," Hellboy said, feeling a little nervous that she might somehow see his erection through the blanket. "It's perfect."

Hellboy's mind unwillingly gravitated back to the hickie, despite his best efforts to expel it. He remembered how delicate the neck was and how, if he ever did get lucky enough to be able to give Liz a hickie, he would have to exercise extreme caution. He couldn't allow himself to get too carried away or he could seriously hurt Liz, or worse.

That went for sex in general. Hellboy had become attuned to his strength over the years, but he still slipped up from time to time, grabbing something a little too hard and snapping it in two. There had been a few instances where he was filling out paperwork and had absentmindedly put the tip of his pen in his mouth and ink ended up spewing everwhere.

And those were mostly times when he was in his right mind. He wasn't excited or angry most of those times; he just put too much force into the task because he hadn't even thought about how much strength he possessed. He felt like sex might make him get a little too excited for his own good. He had to think of a way to control himself.

As Hellboy came back to reality, he felt that his would-be erection had gone away with the sobering realization that sex with Liz could be high risk. It put a big damper on what he wanted out of sex. It wasn't that he wanted to be rough with Liz – he just wanted to be able to have normal sex without worrying about accidently snapping her spine or accidently ripping off a piece of her neck. He felt sick at the thought.

And what's more is, when Faith had seen his cock, she had claimed it was the biggest she'd ever seen. He didn't feel like she was just saying it to say it, he felt like she had meant it. When she saw his fully erect penis, her voice shook when she spoke. It seemed like a tremor had run through her body. She seemed scared and excited all at once at the sight of it. Faith appeared to be in a complete state of awe upon seeing it.

If his cock was big enough to make someone like Faith, who had easily slept with hundreds of men, react that way and state that it was the biggest one she had ever seen, how would Liz react? Liz hadn't been involved with too many boys, Hellboy knew. He'd guessed she had probably been involved with 5 or less, and he wasn't sure how far she had taken things with those boys. For all he knew, she might have never even seen a penis in person.

Hellboy had never really given his size much thought. He knew it was pretty good size, but it's not like he had much to compare it to. He watched porn and looked at sex magazines, but he had never really stopped to consider the size difference between himself and an average human male, and he'd never measured his precise length and girth.

Hellboy found himself wondering if intercourse would even be possible for them. He knew that the vagina could stretch quite well, but he couldn't imagine it was exactly pleasurable for the woman. Would his cock simply be too big? Would he just have to settle for handjobs and blowjobs?

He backed off of the idea of getting a blowjob, realizing that it might be too big to fit into Liz's mouth. The head might be able to fit, but she'd have to stretch her mouth open pretty far.

That settled it. If they did start dating, Hellboy wasn't going to so much as mention anything about sex. He was going to leave that ball entirely in her court, even if it took 10 years. If she asked him to do something to her, like eat her out, finger her or give her a hickie, he would gladly do so, but his cock would remain in his pants until she requested something that required him to take it out and they'd go from there.

Liz was leaning back in the beanbag chair, box of Cheez-Its on the floor to her left. Her left hand dipped into the box every now and then and she brought the crackers up to her mouth as she watched the movie.

Hellboy glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and decided to take a small risk. His heartbeat thumping so loudly in his chest that it resounded in his ears, he lowered his head down to her chest and rested it there, eyes fixed on the television.

Hellboy was pleased when she took her left arm that she was using to harvest Cheez-Its and placed it around his broad shoulders as best as she could. Aside from that, she didn't react to him. Her eyes stayed on the screen and she didn't seem at all bothered by him cuddling up to her.

She had laid on his chest several times in the past, but him laying on her chest was new. Hellboy had never been too big on physical contact, but with Liz, it had always felt kind of nice and he would indulge from time to time, giving her hugs, holding her hand, rubbing her back and feet, or other such activities. Resting his head in such an intimate area was uncharted territory, and it made him feel as though he were dreaming when she allowed him to do it.

Hellboy wondered if Rachel would approve of the baby steps he was taking, or if she would think he was being too forward, but, in all honesty, Hellboy didn't much care if he was being too fast or too slow – he was laying on Liz's chest, safe and secure, hearing her steady breathing and heartbeat, and it was the nicest feeling he had felt to date.


	20. Beach Talks

It had worried Hellboy when Liz had left his apartment to go back to hers. Hours had gone by and she hadn't called him or come back to ask him about his note, or to say whether or not she wanted to accompany him to the beach.

_Maybe she didn't see it_? He had thought to himself.

He knew that there was no way she hadn't seen it. It stuck out like a sore thumb, and most of her time spent at her apartment was spent on the couch either reading, talking on the phone, watching television or writing in her journal.

_Maybe you were just too forward and scared her off_… He thought grimly to himself.

That was the much more plausible possibility, which caused worry to set in. He dug the original note – the one Rachel had written – out of his desk and read over it. He decided that nothing that was said in the note seemed too out of the ordinary. Hellboy wasn't the most affectionate person on the planet, but he had always built Liz up and tried to make her see her potential and how great she really was. Maybe he wouldn't have said these exact words in this exact way, but it was close enough to what he wanted to say.

He had also become a little better with writing letters since Liz had been sent away, since that was their main form of communication for nearly a year. It shouldn't have tripped her up that much to discover a note from him… should it?

Hellboy was moments from marching over to Liz's apartment to try to find out why it was taking her so long to get back to him when his phone rang. He practically dove for it.

"Hello?" He said, perhaps a little too desperately.

"Hey," Liz said on the other end. "I got your note."

"Oh?" Hellboy said. It was all he could think to say with adrenaline flooding his system.

"Yeah," Liz said. "Sorry, I meant to get back to you sooner, but Manning stopped me almost as soon as I left your place. It was embarrassing because I was still wearing your gigantic-ass clothes." She laughed.

She didn't seem angry or scared at all, which gave Hellboy hope.

"What did he stop you for?" Hellboy asked.

"Ugh," Liz groaned. "Only a fucking mountain of paperwork. I have Mount Fuji on my coffee table. It's all I've been able to do for the last three hours. I'm surprised his little bitch ass was able to carry all of it."

This elicited a laugh from Hellboy, both from relief that she wasn't avoiding him, and finding genuine joy from poking fun at Tom Manning.

"So, yeah, anyway," Liz went on. "Like I said, I got your note. The beach sounds fun. I kept my schedule clear, so…"

"Oh," Hellboy said, hoping that she couldn't hear how much he was smiling into the phone. "Awesome."

"What are you wanting to do out there?" She asked. "Should I bring a swimming suit or anything like that?"

"Yeah," Hellboy said. "If you're wanting to swim. I was thinking we could have a picnic, too..." He paused, debating on whether or not it would be wise to keep talking. "Maybe watch the sunset."

He silently took in a gulp of air, brought his left hand up to his mouth and bit down, hard, on his index finger's knuckle, hoping he didn't say too much.

"Oh, that sounds cool," Liz said.

He quietly exhaled his relief, happy to see that he hadn't crossed the line.

"Be ready by four tomorrow?" Hellboy asked.

"For sure," Liz said. "It's a date. I'm gonna go turn this paperwork in now. See ya."

She hung up, and Hellboy stood there for about a minute, still holding the phone up to his ear.

She had said '_it's a date_.'

_Was_ it a date? Did she know his hidden motive? Or was she just using the term loosely?

Hellboy sighed and placed the phone on the cradle. He sat on his bed, grabbing a cigarette out of the pack and lit it with his Zippo, placing the cigarette between his lips and taking a drag. He grabbed the ashtray Liz had made him with his left hand and observed it as he smoked. He felt that there was an engraving of some sort on the bottom.

Raising the ashtray above his head, he looked up at the bottom. He saw that the engraving said 'Red' with a little heart underneath it. His mind raced upon seeing it. Did that mean Liz felt the same about him, or was she just expressing platonic love for him as she always had?

Hellboy had to remind himself that just because he was madly in love with her didn't mean she felt the same, but he found it hard to not read into everything she said or did. It was driving him mad, this overthinking. Love could be wonderful, he knew, but he almost wished things could go back to how they were between him and Liz. He felt like he was losing his mind in the best and worst way.

Hellboy put the ashtray back down and rubbed the tip of his cigarette in the center until the fire was smothered. He put the cigarette in one of the rests and began packing a bag for the beach tomorrow. He threw in a pair of blue swimming trunks, a beach towel and an extra pack of cigarettes.

He found a small can of breath spray hidden away in one of his dresser drawers and decided to put that in his bag as well… just in case. He knew he was being much too hopeful, but he wanted to be ready in case anything did happen.

He began brainstorming about what to bring for them to eat. He hadn't been to the store in a while, so he knew he wouldn't have much luck finding anything suitable in his kitchen.

Hellboy headed out the door and locked up his apartment. He went out to the parking garage, signed a car out and grabbed the keys off the wall. He started the car and headed into town, his mind in too much of a mix to give any real thought to where he was going and what he was after.

He settled on a health food store he'd been to a few times. He grabbed a cart and began browsing. When he got to the meat section, he remembered that Liz had specifically mentioned his paprika chicken the day he went to pick her up from the airport.

He grabbed two packs of chicken breasts, some chicken broth, cloves of garlic, tomato paste, red bell peppers, onions and a few spices he had run out of. Knowing that he had the rest at home, he checked out and began heading back home when he saw a flower shop he had passed several times, but had never been to.

Without even thinking, Hellboy pulled over and went inside. He bought a dozen fire lilies, which the florist arranged into a proper bouquet, accenting it with baby's-breath, binding it all together with a ribbon and slipping it into a protective plastic sleeve.

Hellboy noticed some boxes of Black Magic chocolate on a shelf behind the counter, which was one of Liz's favorites. He asked the florist to ring him up for a box, and on Hellboy's way out the door, the florist wished him luck.

Hellboy drove back to the Bureau and put all of his ingredients away in his kitchen. He hid the box of chocolates and bouquet of lilies in his closet, wanting them to be a surprise.

He suddenly worried about what he was going to wear. He knew it was silly. They were going to the beach, after all, and he'd probably change into his swimming trunks as soon as they got there, but he felt compelled to look his best for her.

He knew that was also silly. No matter what he did, he couldn't look much better than how he normally looked. Dressing well didn't do much…

He suddenly remembered something Liz had said to him when he came to get her from the airport. When she showed him the grey scarf she had made, she had said '_you look _so _nice in grey_.'

Not just that he looked nice in grey – she said he looked _so _nice.

Hellboy began digging through the shirts hanging up in his closet and found a grey, long-sleeve shirt. The material was stretchy enough that he could push his right stone hand through without ripping the sleeve, and leave it bunched up where the flesh ended and the stone began. He went to throw the shirt over his desk chair, but he saw Liz's black hoodie was still draped over the back of it.

A little rush of excitement ran through him as he realized she still hadn't noticed it was missing. He grabbed her hoodie and placed his grey shirt in its place. He pushed her hoodie up to his nose and breathed in the scent, instinctively closing his eyes.

_If things go well tomorrow_, Hellboy thought. _I won't need to settle for smelling her clothing to get my fix_. _I'll have the real thing next to me_.

.

.

.

The next day, Liz had been too busy during the day to come by, but she was ready to leave right at 4 o'clock like she said. It was for the better, really. This way, Hellboy had time to sneak the flowers and chocolate out to the car and hide them in the backseat.

She knocked on Hellboy's apartment door and he let her in with a big smile on his face.

"Ooh, it smells great in here," Liz said. "What did you make?"

"Paprika chicken," He said as he finished putting the food into lidded Tupperware containers.

"Hell yeah," Liz said with excitement. "It's been too long since I've had it."

Still smiling, Hellboy put the food in a portable cooler with the drinks he had packed. There was some water and soda, and he had also snuck a bottle of fancy wine that he couldn't even pronounce the name of into the bottom, along with 2 wine glasses that were sealed in a protective case.

He had received the wine and glasses as a gift after a case in California. There was some kind of monster roaming around a popular vineyard, causing all types of mayhem, and Hellboy had easily vanquished it for them, essentially saving their business. According to Trevor, the wine was quite expensive.

Hellboy wasn't a wine guy, but he figured it would be good to bring along. Liz might like to try some, and he might as well, especially if the night went well.

Hellboy reached out a hand for the bag she had slung over her shoulder.

"What kind of servant am I?" Hellboy asked sarcastically. "Making her royal majesty carry her own bags."

Liz handed him the bag and gave a 'tsk,' shaking her head in mock disappointment.

Hellboy would have taken her bag under normal circumstances, but he especially didn't want to risk her seeing her flowers and chocolates sitting in the backseat if she chose to throw her bag back there instead of keeping it up in the front seat with her.

They walked out to the car and Hellboy opened the passenger side door for her.

"That's more like it," Liz said as she stepped up into the car. "I might keep you after all."

Hellboy, smirking, closed the door behind her and put their luggage in the backseat, careful to keep the flowers and chocolates well away so that they didn't accidentally get crushed.

The drive there was a relatively short one. They only managed to listen to 3 and a half Led Zeppelin songs before they pulled into the parking lot.

Hellboy opened his door and held up a hand to her, silently telling her to stay put.

"Close your eyes," He ordered just before getting out of the car.

She obeyed, closing her eyes and laying her hands flat on her thighs. Hellboy crawled into the backseat and grabbed the box of chocolates and lily bouquet, fluffing up the flowers a little and tucking the chocolates under his arm.

He came back up to the passenger side, not bothering to close the back door. As quietly as he could, he extended the box and bouquet in through the open window so that they were only about a foot in front of Liz's face. Liz's brow furrowed as she contemplated what he was up to.

"Okay, open 'em," Hellboy said.

Liz opened her eyes and smiled.

"Aww," She said as Hellboy placed the items in her lap. "Thanks, Red. I haven't had Black Magic in ages."

Hellboy opened the door for her and she hopped out, leaving the flowers on her seat, but holding the box of chocolates to her chest. She closed the door behind her. Hellboy got to work unloading the backseat, hooking his bag on one shoulder and Liz's on the other. He brought out the portable cooler and closed the door behind him.

Liz tried to take her bag from him and he sidestepped away from her with a smile.

"What?" Liz asked. "Not gonna let me at least carry my own bag?"

"Nope," Hellboy said, shaking his head. "I'm not gonna let you walk, either."

Before Liz could respond, Hellboy had scooped her up and tucked his stone hand under her thighs for support. She laughed and tried to wriggle free, even though she wrapped her legs around his waist. Hellboy grabbed the cooler and began wheeling it down to the beach, both of their bags strapped around his shoulders, and Liz wrapped around him.

The beach was fairly packed, but they managed to find a secluded spot with a picnic table. Hellboy let go of the cooler and allowed it to stand upright. He sat Liz down on the table seat, and put their bags down on top of the table. Liz placed her box of chocolates at the edge of the table.

Hellboy opened the cooler and gave Liz a can of Coke that was slightly wet from sitting in the ice.

"Hungry?" He asked.

"Only always," Liz said, patting her tummy.

Hellboy got the containers out of the cooler and sat one in front of Liz. He grabbed a container for himself and closed the cooler, walking over to the other side of the bench, taking a seat. Liz opened her container and bounced in her seat a little.

"Paprika chicken _and _mashed potatoes?" Liz said. "Aw, hell yeah."

She began digging in and Hellboy followed suit. He was mesmerized as he watched her teeth sink into the food, watched her jaw work. He saw her eyes light up with every bite she took, which made him almost giddy. He had made something she enjoyed.

After they finished eating, Liz opened the box of chocolates and looked at the options. She grabbed a Pure Black Magic square and popped it in her mouth.

"Uhmuhgud," Liz said, closing her eyes as she chewed.

She pushed the box to Hellboy, offering him some. He grabbed a Raspberry Heaven chocolate and put it in his mouth.

"Wanna go walk some of the food off?" Liz asked.

"Uh…" Hellboy said. "Sure."

Hellboy grabbed their bags and portable cooler and began walking back to the car. Liz scooped up her box of chocolates and followed behind. He loaded up the car, and when he turned around, he noticed Liz was taking her tank top off. He panicked for a moment until he saw she was wearing a red bikini top underneath. The only clothing that remained on her body was the red bikini, black booty shorts, large tortoiseshell sunglasses that rested atop her head and blue sandals.

Hellboy also noticed the hickie on her neck for the first time that day. It had started to lighten in color and was almost unnoticeable unless you were looking for it.

After Liz had peeled her tank top off, she threw it past Hellboy and into the backseat of the car to join their luggage. Hellboy felt himself becoming flustered at the sight of Liz taking off her clothing, but covered it up well.

"You keeping your shorts on?" He asked.

"Yeah," Liz said. "For now."

Hellboy felt his throat close at the idea of seeing Liz take off her shorts. He felt blood rushing to his lower half at the thought of seeing her in nothing but a bikini.

He forced the thoughts away, not wanting to have to explain why he got a hard-on the moment Liz took her top off. He peeled off his grey shirt and threw it into the backseat, now standing in nothing but his blue swim trunks. Liz put her box of chocolates in the car, Hellboy closed the car door and they started their walk down the coastline.

Liz pulled her sunglasses down off of her head and rested them on her nose. It was bright out, but the temperature was perfect. It was far from cold, but it definitely couldn't be considered hot.

As they walked along, Liz reached out her index finger and poked him in the rectus abdominis.

"Have you been working out?" Liz asked. "I mean, more than usual?"

"Yeah," Hellboy said. "The time I normally would have spent with you got filled at the gym."

"Damn," Liz said in awe. "Your muscles feel…"

She came to stand in front of him, placing a flat palm against his tummy area, running her hand along it. Hellboy could have been knocked over with a feather. Her delicate hand caressing his hard, sinewy abs was enough to make him feel faint.

"I dunno," Liz continued. "They feel a lot more dense than last time, and I didn't think that was possible. It's like concrete."

"Is that a problem?" Hellboy asked.

"Oh, no," Liz said, smiling. "I like it. Just didn't think you could pack on more muscle."

_She likes it_, Hellboy thought to himself excitedly. _She likes your muscles. She likes your body._

They continued walking and Liz walked ahead by a couple of steps. Hellboy couldn't help but let his eyes travel over her body. He admired the delicate curve of her hips, the slopes of her shoulders, her graceful neck. He admired the careful way she walked, how her hair bounced with every movement and step.

He noticed that he could see the very bottom of her ass poking out from under her black booty shorts and couldn't take his eyes off of it. When he noticed his cock was starting to become hard, he forced himself to look away and push his thoughts elsewhere.

"Wanna go swimming?" Liz asked, whipping her head over her shoulder to look back at him.

"Sure," Hellboy said.

Liz kicked off her sandals away from the shoreline and pulled her shorts off, placing them on top of her sandals, revealing a red bikini bottom. Hellboy became flustered when he saw the bottoms were tied at the sides, and the strings were the only things keeping it around her waist. She sat her sunglasses down as well.

Liz walked out until she was up to her butt in water. She turned around and beckoned for him to follow. He obeyed, the wet sand smooshing up between his cloven hooves as he walked deeper into the water.

When Hellboy got close to her, a mischievous smile spread across her face. She took in a deep breath and plunged beneath the surface. She swam around him and jerked on his tail.

Smiling, he submerged and swam after her. He wasn't a very good swimmer, and it was obvious he wasn't designed for the water, what with his hooves and massive stone hand, but he still managed to do better than most people. His tail helped, acting as a rudder of sorts, and he could hold his breath for much longer than any normal person.

He caught up to Liz with little difficulty, carefully grabbing one of her feet and releasing it instantly, simply wanting to let her know that he caught her, and not wanting to hold on for more than a fraction of a second in case he prevented her from going up for air.

She whipped around to look at him and smiled before she went up for air. Hellboy watched her, completely mesmerized. Her hair flowed through the water like ink. She appeared as though she were straight out of a dream, and a particularly good one at that.

When Liz broke the surface, Hellboy looked up at her kicking legs. His attention gravitated a little higher still, right at the crotch of her bikini bottoms.

He imagined swimming up and untying the strings that held them in place. He imagined stuffing the bottoms into the pocket of his swim trunks so that she couldn't get out of the water until he gave them back. He imagined swimming up, his face between her legs, tongue working until she trapped him in place with her thighs as she climaxed.

Then, and only then, would he give Liz her bottoms back.

He felt himself becoming stiff as he looked up at her body and daydreamed. He shook his head, attempting to snap himself out of it and swam up beneath her, coaxing her onto his back. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and her legs around his hips. His cock continued to grow stiff when he felt her small breasts smoosh up against his back.

Hellboy drifted around for a while, trying like hell to get his erection to die down.

"It's getting close to sunset," Liz said, looking up at the sky. "It's gonna start getting pretty cold in the next half hour. Maybe we should get to shore so we don't freeze. Well… I guess you don't have to worry about freezing as much as I do."

"Yeah," Hellboy said, swimming back to shore with her still securely on his back.

Once on the shore, Liz gathered her things up and they walked back to the car. Liz sat her sunglasses, sandals and shorts down on the backseat, dug her towel out of her bag and dried herself off as best she could. Hellboy got his towel out, but just draped it over his shoulders. He noticed Liz was starting to shiver as the sun got lower.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah," She said, pulling her towel tightly around her body. "Just cold."

Hellboy walked around to the back of a car and opened the trunk up. He had a single, large blanket folded up. He had purposely parked the trunk of the car in the direction that the sun would be setting.

"You can come warm up back here," Hellboy said.

Liz walked around to him and he helped her up into the trunk. He couldn't help but notice her nipples had become hard and were pushing her bikini top outward. He climbed up in with her and wrapped the blanket around his shoulders and scooted close to her, putting the other half of the blanket around her. She slid under and pressed her arm against his.

"Jeez," Liz said. "I always forget how _warm _you are. You're like a radiator."

She snuggled in closer until she was sitting in his lap, which caused Hellboy to panic slightly. If he became aroused while she was sitting there, there would be no way to hide it. He just had to not think about her gorgeous body pressed up against his, clad in nothing but a bikini, soaking wet…

Hellboy gently coaxed her off of his lap until she was sitting on the floor of the trunk. He started digging around in the cooler.

"Thirsty?" He asked.

"Yeah," Liz said as she got up to look in the cooler. "What did you bring? Is that… wine?"

Hellboy was taken off guard by the tone of her voice. She sounded concerned, almost scared.

"Why did you bring wine?" Liz pressed.

"It's for me," Hellboy lied.

"Then why are there two wine glasses?" Liz asked, holding the lid to the cooler open. "And you don't like wine."

Hellboy paused for a moment as panic set in. He hadn't expected her to react this way.

"I thought maybe you would want to try some," Hellboy said.

"What's really going on here?" Liz asked, letting the cooler lid fall shut. "What's this whole thing about?"

Hellboy sat on his knees and stared at her in silence, his tail lying limp on the floor of the trunk, unsure of what to say.

"I didn't think anything of the flowers and chocolates, or the picnic," Liz went on. "You've done stuff like that before. But… watching the sunset together? I know we've watched the sunset together before, but never deliberately. And a bottle of wine with two glasses…? You've been acting kind of flaky since I've been back. I need you to be honest with me. Right now."

Hellboy looked away and sighed, cupping the back of his head with his stone hand.

"Talk." Liz demanded.

"I just…" Hellboy said. "I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" Liz asked. "You know what's going on more than I do."

Hellboy was silent. He wanted to come clean, he really did, but he didn't want it to play out like this. He wasn't good with words even if he had a speech all planned out. Being put on the spot like this meant that he couldn't completely articulate what he was thinking.

"Just answer one thing," Liz said quietly. "Have you been grooming me this whole time?"

Hellboy looked back over at her, confused.

"Grooming?" He repeated.

"Yeah," Liz said. "Just getting me ready for when I was legal."

Hellboy recoiled with disgust. The thought hadn't even crossed his mind.

"No," He said. "God, no. It wasn't like that at all."

Liz shook her head. "The signs are all there."

"It's not like that, Liz," Hellboy said. "I swear. That's disgusting."

"Well," Liz said. "If it's not like that, how exactly is it, then?"

Hellboy took a deep breath and got off of his knees, sitting down on his ass, bringing his knees up to his chin and curling his tail around him, almost in a protective manner.

"It started…" Hellboy said. "It started the second I saw you at the airport. There was just… something different about you."

"What started?" Liz asked.

"I think it's love," Hellboy said, averting his gaze again. "I'm pretty sure it's love."

"Why, though?" Liz asked.

"You were just different when you came back," Hellboy said. "Happy and confident. Independent. Ready to take on the world. It was really… exciting for me, I guess… to see you like that."

Liz was quiet as she contemplated this, but she didn't look happy. She looked quite irritated.

"I understand if you don't want us to be involved like that," Hellboy said. "I just hope we can still be friends, at least."

Liz sighed and started to climb out of the car, but Hellboy reached out his left hand, grabbing her by the upper arm and holding her in place.

"Let go," Liz said. "I'm walking home."

"No, you're not," Hellboy said, keeping his grip too firm for her to get away, but not hard enough to cause injury. "Not dressed in a bikini, and not at night."

"I can handle myself," Liz reminded him, a little bit of flame licking up the arm he was holding.

"Liz," Hellboy pleaded, keeping his grip. "Please..."

"Fine," Liz said after a moment of tense silence, the flame absorbing back into her flesh. "But I'm riding in the back."

"Okay," Hellboy said, releasing her arm. "That's fine… are you mad at me?"

Liz was quiet as she contemplated. "I'm not mad… I just need some time to think. About things."

Hellboy really didn't like the sound of that, but she didn't seem too angry. He figured maybe she just needed some time to cool down. He_ had _just dumped a lot on her, and she'd had to come to the conclusion on her own, which was probably a bigger shock than if Hellboy had just come straight out and told her he was madly in love with her.

They got out of the trunk. Liz got into the back seat and Hellboy got up in the front behind the steering wheel. Liz started putting her tank top and shorts back on as Hellboy drove back to the Bureau. When they got back, Liz walked to her apartment and Hellboy to his.

For the first time in his adult life, Hellboy collapsed on his bed and cried himself to sleep.


	21. Feel The Burn

Instead of going straight to her apartment, Liz made a detour to Abraham's apartment. She needed someone to talk to. Hellboy was normally her go-to, but seeing as that wasn't an option, given the current circumstances, Abe was the next best option.

She knocked on his door, tucked the chocolates under her arm and waited. He answered moments later, water sliding off of his body and forming a small puddle at his feet.

"Yes?" Abe asked.

"Can I come in?" Liz asked, arms wrapped around the front of her waist.

"Of course," Abe said, pulling the door open a little farther and taking a graceful step back.

Liz walked in and looked around his apartment. She'd never actually been inside of his apartment. She had stood in his doorway a few times, but never actually took a step inside. His flooring reminded her of a school locker room's floor, and it appeared to be waterproof and slip-resistant. She noticed that his apartment looked more open than the other apartments around the Bureau, and he had an entire wall covered by a massive bookshelf.

The thing that set his apartment apart from any other apartment on base was the enormous fish tank pressed up against the wall.

"You seem troubled," Abe said simply.

"Pokin' around in my head?" Liz asked.

"No," Abe said. "I wasn't using my abilities. Just an observation."

"Is it really that obvious?" Liz asked.

Abe walked over to his couch, which was covered in plastic, and sat down. Liz assumed the plastic was there to wick away any excess moisture he might have on his body after taking a dip in his fish tank, and as she watched a few stray droplets run down the front of the plastic and pool on the waterproof floor, her suspicions were confirmed.

Abe patted the couch, encouraging her to come sit with him. She did so with a sigh, sitting the box of chocolates at her feet. Abe waited patiently for her to start speaking, which took nearly a full minute.

"Hellboy…" She started weakly. "He took me to the beach, and… well… it turned out to kind of be a date. It scared me, I guess. He brought wine and everything."

Abe nodded, showing that he was listening.

"I'm kind of freaked out by it," Liz continued. "I've known him since I was eleven. I've always seen him as, like, an older brother. He pretty much helped raise me. I'm creeped out, because I'm thinking he was grooming me this whole time."

Liz couldn't read Abe's expressions very well, but she got the feeling that he was confused by the phrase just as Hellboy had been.

"Grooming is like…" Liz explained. "Taking a kid and getting them ready for some sort of relationship when they're grown."

Abe nodded, seeming to understand.

"That's not the case," Abe said, clenching his webbed hands into fists when he realized he had said too much.

"Wait…" Liz said. "You knew about this?"

Abe shifted uncomfortably on the couch. "I found out by accident. He requested that I keep it secret."

Liz was angry as first, but the emotion soon fell away. Abe hadn't done anything wrong – she had no right to direct her anger at him. She tucked some of her auburn hair behind an ear and turned to Abe.

"Could you show me?" Liz asked. "Do your powers work like that?"

Abe was silent as he contemplated. He decided that the cat was out of the bag, and it might help Liz understand how Hellboy felt a little better if he allowed her a look into Hellboy's mind; at least at the parts that concerned her. At the very least, it would clear her mind of any idea that he had been 'grooming' her, which seemed to be the biggest concern she had.

"Yes," Abe said, holding a webbed hand out to her. "I suppose there's no harm."

Liz hesitantly, but eagerly, placed her hand on his cool, slick, rubbery hand, unsure of what to expect. Her eyes glassed over as Abe let his mind pour into hers.

Abe allowed Liz to see into Hellboy's mind all the way to the first day she arrived at the Bureau. His primary emotions were anger, disgust and empathy. There was a _lot _of empathy in Hellboy's mind that day for Liz, and there was a _lot _of anger and disgust towards the BPRD. He had, after all, been subjected to similar treatment when he first arrived on Earth. He had seen a lot of himself in Liz. He wanted to help her.

Nothing out of place there. Everything he was thinking and feeling was completely pure and normal.

Abe let Liz see everything between the day she arrived to the Bureau, up until she got sent away to the Los Angeles Behavioral Hospital. Through it all, Liz felt that Hellboy had been extremely protective and loving to her, but there was nothing sexual or romantic; nothing abnormal or out of place in his thoughts or feelings. All of his thoughts and feelings were akin to that of a doting big brother.

When she was away, Liz had felt this deep sadness and loneliness in Hellboy's mind, like he was missing his best friend. Liz guessed she kind of had become his best friend. Their lives had become so wrapped up in each other that it was almost impossible to _not _become incredibly close.

All of Hellboy's thoughts and feelings were completely normal… then Abe brought her to the day her and Hellboy were reunited at the airport.

The second Hellboy had spun around to see Liz, his whole world seemed to stop. That was the very second his feelings and thoughts shifted. It was almost beautiful to see them blossom, like the petals of a flower opening up to sunlight.

Abe let her see what Hellboy had felt since she had been back. The ups and downs. Being afraid that she was going to take an interest in Zach, and the relief Hellboy had felt when Liz had told him that there was no interest on her part. Feeling so awkward around her that he could barely think straight. Wanting to tell her how he felt, but feeling so unsure of how to do so, or how she would react.

She experienced the night he had come over and she had gone to bed. How he wanted to crawl into bed with her and kiss her, to see how she would react. She felt how he had fought with himself.

She witnessed little snippets of Rachel and Hellboy's conversation, but only vague bits and pieces. Just the bits that directly involved her. She could sense that Abe was withholding nearly all of it, but since it involved her, he felt it was only fair to show her some of it.

When exploring Hellboy's mind, Liz felt a lot of sexual tension coming from him, but there was much more to it than just wanting to have sex with her. Sex was just a reaction to being attracted to her. Although Liz could sense that he wanted to have sex with her, she also sensed a lot of uncertainty in him, but Abe wasn't letting her see what the uncertainty stemmed from.

Liz witnessed Hellboy discovering her forgotten hoodie in his apartment. How he wanted to bring it back to her, but hesitated. How he pressed it to his nose, desperate to smell Liz's scents. How he had wrapped her hoodie around his pillow and pretended to rest his head on her chest. How well he had slept with the aid of the illusion of sharing a bed with her.

Abe was being very careful of what he showed Liz, but she could also tell that he wasn't keeping secrets from her – merely keeping Hellboy's thoughts that didn't directly involve her personal. Liz felt like her mind was traveling down a narrow hallway with a terribly low ceiling; constantly scraping against the carefully constructed walls Abe had put up in order to keep anything that didn't involve Liz a perfect secret.

The visions Abe was supplying slowed to a trickle, and eventually stopped, and Liz came back to reality, suddenly aware of the physical world. Instead of taking his hand away, Abe waited for her to retract her hand on her own.

Liz took her hand away, deep in thought.

"I hope this helped clear some things up," Abe said gently.

"Yeah…" Liz said. "Yeah, it did…"

The session with Abe had helped Liz understand that Hellboy had only good intentions toward her, and that he really was in love with her. It helped greatly to know his intent, but she couldn't shake how nervous the whole thing made her. Hellboy being in love with her didn't change the strange fact that _he was in love with her._

It was a lot to absorb. Liz never would have suspected Hellboy would ever feel this way about her. She had never even had the idea of Hellboy being her lover cross her mind, even in passing. She had simply never put him in that light, seeing him as this completely platonic older brother figure.

Liz loved him, and she loved him very dearly. She loved him in all of the ways one could love their best friend, their big brother, their protector. But, romantic love? That was going to take some time to come to terms with. The very concept of being in a relationship with Hellboy was so alien in her mind that she could barely even approach it.

"You don't sound very sure," Abe said.

"Well…" Liz said. "It's like… he's in love with me. I didn't see it coming, I guess. It's completely unexpected."

Abe nodded. "I can see why it would catch you off guard."

"This just changes everything," Liz said, leaning back on the couch and crossing her arms over her chest.

"True," Abe said. "But it doesn't have to be the end of your friendship. He still has your best interest at heart. He still cares about you as a friend would."

Liz silently pondered as she let his statement sink in. It was true; she had seen that when Abe had allowed her to glean Hellboy's mind. Hellboy hadn't necessarily _wanted _Liz to go be with Zach, and the idea of eliminating Zach as competition by having him transferred had crossed Hellboy's mind for a moment, but he had backed off and vowed to attempt to win Liz over fairly.

If Liz had wound up with Zach, as long as she was happy, that's all that really mattered to Hellboy, even if it would hurt to see her with someone else. He just wanted her to be happy. If she was happy with Hellboy instead of someone else, well, that was just a very, very large bonus.

"Yeah," Liz said. "He does…"

With a sigh, Liz got up from the couch. She turned to look at Abe, who was still seated.

"Thanks, Abe," Liz said. "You helped a lot. I just need to think about things now."

"Don't mention it," Abe said. "Seriously, don't mention it… Hellboy would kill me if he knew I did this."

Abe sounded like he was only half-joking.

With a giggle, Liz leaned down and wrapped Abe in a hug. It caught the fish-man off guard, and he didn't respond at first, but he eventually put his arms around her, awkwardly.

Just as Liz walked out of Abe's door, she heard a small swishing of water as he submerged himself in his fish tank.

.

.

.

Liz sat on her couch, legs folded up next to her, looking at Hellboy's note. She wasn't really reading it. She had read over it a quarter of a million times already. At this point, she was merely looking at it; almost looking _through _it.

She so badly wanted to talk to Hellboy, but she needed some time away from him while she thought. It wasn't that she felt uncomfortable around him. She just felt… uncertain. This was very big, and Liz needed some time to get it straight in her head, alone.

Liz didn't want to hurt Hellboy – not at all. She especially didn't want to hurt him after seeing inside his mind. He might have the big, tough guy act down to a science, but she could see now more clearly than ever that he was a kind, sensitive soul. More than kind and sensitive, really. The guy was a squishy, vulnerable teddy bear with an enormous heart, trapped in the body of a demon.

She had seen it throughout the years, but that was all on the surface, only visible through his actions. Seeing inside his mind – even just a small glimpse – was an entirely different experience. His thoughts and feelings, when laid bare, were intense and raw, but also pure.

More than the pureness of his being was the unshakable feeling of innocence. Hellboy had seen and experienced a lot in his life and career; things that would break most people. He had learned horrible truths about himself, or rather, truths of his destiny. According to what Hellboy had told Liz years ago, his "birth" name was Anung Un Rama, and he was destined to bring about the apocalypse. It was, apparently, the sole purpose of his existence.

Hellboy had always felt the drive to be a force for good, but after finding out about his origins and intended destiny, he made it his life's mission to stay on the path of good, careful to steer clear of becoming what he was meant to become.

Liz knew he struggled with his origins. She saw it, perhaps, more than Trevor. As far as she knew, she was the only one that Hellboy had told in detail about everything. She wasn't sure he had even really told Trevor much, if anything.

Liz sighed and finally put the note down on her coffee table. She wasn't sure how long it would take, but she decided that she definitely needed some time away from Hellboy. If she shot Hellboy down, she wasn't sure about the future of their friendship.

The idea of losing him as a friend scared her almost as much as being romantically involved with him.

Liz laid flat on the couch and stared at the ceiling, feeling suddenly sick.

_Maybe I should just flip a coin_, she thought.


	22. 3 Days Later

**3 days later…**

Hellboy had locked himself in his room ever since the day at the beach. He had barely eaten anything, and didn't really feel hungry in the first place. His appetite was simply gone. Whenever someone came to the door or called his extension, he didn't answer. Nobody had heard from him or seen him in 3 days. Most people around the headquarters weren't even sure if he was on base. There was a rumor circulating that he had taken off to God knows where, as he had done a few times in the past.

While Liz had wanted to speak with him, she decided to stay away. Besides finding herself busy with training and paperwork, she wasn't positive that he would answer the door, even for her, and she needed some space, and assumed perhaps he wanted space as well.

But Hellboy had wanted nothing more than for Liz to knock on his door. He wanted to resolve this, whether or not it had the outcome he wanted. He wanted to hear Liz say that she still wanted to be friends, or, hell, even _not _be friends. He wanted her to just make it clear what the status of their relationship was - whether she loved him as a friend, romantically, or not at all. Whether she hated him, or simply wanted to cut contact. He just needed the closure.

Mostly Hellboy had just been sulking around his apartment the last 3 days, being as quiet as possible. He definitely wasn't feeling up to human interaction, unless it was Liz. He just wanted to be left alone while he figured things out in his head.

Hellboy was hunkered down in his beanbag chair, staring at his quieted television set, when he heard a very quiet knock at his door. If it wasn't so still in his apartment, he probably wouldn't have heard it. He ignored the knock, turning back to the television when he heard the tiny, muffled voice on the other side of the door.

"Red?" Liz said. "You in there? It's Liz…"

Hellboy rolled off his beanbag chair and nearly tripped over his own hooves as he darted to the door. Thankfully, he had enough control to unlock and open the door rather than ripping it off its hinges.

Liz looked up at him, a neutral expression on her face. Hellboy felt a flurry of emotions wash over him at the sight of her, but the most prominent ones were that of relief and happiness.

"Hey," She said casually.

"Hey," Hellboy said, a little strained, leaning against the doorframe.

"Can I come in?" She asked.

"Yeah…" Hellboy said, turning away completely and walking over to his bed, tail dragging on the floor. He sat down on the edge of the bed.

Liz walked in and shut the door behind her. She leaned against it for a moment as she looked over at him. Hellboy was normally able to read her like a book, but her expression and body language were largely unreadable.

She sighed and walked over to him. She grabbed his beanbag chair and pulled it near his bed, laying on it. She forced a little smile that quickly faded away.

"How have you been?" She asked quietly.

Hellboy pressed his lips into a thin line and blinked. "Not too great."

Liz looked down at the floor, feeling stupid for having asked the question. It should have been obvious. Hellboy looked miserable. She could tell by his appearance, voice and mannerisms that he hadn't slept well, perhaps for days.

She figured it was best to cut out the pleasantries and just get straight to it.

"So…" Liz said, tucking some hair behind her ear and looking back up at him. "Abe and I… well, we talked."

Hellboy rolled his eyes and let out a silent groan. "He showed you, didn't he?"

"Well…" Liz said timidly. "He figured since I already knew, it might help."

Hellboy laid back on his bed and sighed. "I told him not to tell…"

"It did help, though," Liz said.

Hellboy sat back up and looked down at her. "How?"

"It helped me get more of an insight," Liz explained. "I really had it in my mind that there was some weird grooming thing going on. Abe cleared that up. It helped me see how you really feel about me."

Hellboy nodded solemnly.

"So, don't be mad at Abe," Liz said. "I'm pretty positive I wouldn't be talking to you without his intervention."

Hellboy nodded again. He blinked and scooted back into the corner of his bed, tucking his knees up to his chin.

"Did you see anything you didn't like?" Hellboy asked, suddenly concerned with how much Abe had shown her.

"Not really," Liz replied. "I thought the whole hoodie thing was a bit odd, but that's about it."

Hellboy felt his face grow hot, embarrassment washing over him. Smelling Liz's hoodie was something he had wanted to take to his grave. Something he'd never want to admit to even if they had gotten married.

Liz looked around his room until she spotted her hoodie draped over the back of his desk chair.

"I'm gonna want that back, by the way," Liz teased.

Hellboy didn't smile. He didn't even look at her.

"Relax," Liz said, kicking the side of his bed with the bottom of her foot. "I'm not mad or anything. I know you weren't doing it to be creepy."

"It doesn't make it any less creepy, though," Hellboy muttered into his knees.

Liz felt a lump form in her throat. His statement was more or less true.

"It was innocent enough," Liz said. "I know you didn't mean any harm."

Hellboy kept his gaze averted and didn't respond to her, still feeling quite ashamed of himself. Liz stood and got up on the bed with him, blocking him into the corner.

"Don't feel bad, big guy," She said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I'm not mad at you."

Feeling her hand on his shoulder, mixed with his sleep deprived mind, was almost enough to make him do something stupid. He felt the sudden urge to grab her and lock her in a kiss, but he held back, reminding himself that that was probably the worst thing he could do right now.

"I'm glad," Hellboy said quietly, still keeping his eyes averted. "I hope we can still be friends."

"Of course," Liz said, squeezing his shoulder. "You'll always be my best friend."

Hellboy was happy at the statement, but still felt a little hollow. While he wanted Liz to make her own decision, he had hoped that she would want to be with him.

"Anyway," Liz said, taking her hand away from his shoulder. "There's another reason for me coming here… we're getting sent on an assignment together."

Hellboy perked up a little and looked at her. "Your first assignment, already?"

"Yeah," Liz said, smiling. "It doesn't sound like any sort of big deal, but they want you to be the one to train me."

Hellboy nodded. "Are they sending any other agents?

"Nope," Liz said. "Just us two."

_Great_, Hellboy thought grimly.

"Great," Hellboy said.

"We're supposed to ship out tomorrow," Liz said, practically bouncing with excitement.

"Do you know the specifics of the case?" Hellboy asked, hoping that he didn't sound as uneasy as he felt.

"Not really," Liz said. "Just something about some strange noises coming from the woods at night. It's over in some nearby town. They made it sound like it's just some nothing case that they're gonna throw at me to give me some training."

"Cool," Hellboy said. "I'll go look over the paperwork later."

"I can't wait," Liz said, hopping off the bed. "Well, I got some stuff to go over with Manning. Not sure how long it's gonna take… that guy sure loves talking."

"Yeah, the stupid ones usually do," Hellboy mumbled.

Just before Liz walked out the door, she looked over at her hoodie. She hesitated, smiled, then walked out. Hellboy remained on his bed, frozen with confusion. She hadn't said she wanted to be with him, but she also hadn't said that she didn't. And she purposely didn't take her hoodie with her.

_That's possibly a good sign_, Hellboy thought. _Right_?

She hadn't definitively said that she wasn't interested in pursuing a relationship with him, and she was also allowing him to keep her hoodie to possibly indulge in his fascination with her. She had also had good humor about it when she talked about it. These were all positive things. Hellboy began to feel hesitantly optimistic.


	23. On Assignment

Hellboy and Liz sat in the front of the BPRD-issued van with their windows cracked by a few inches. The engine was off and the sun was slowly setting behind the trees of Black Rock Wood, causing them to appear as nothing more than jagged black lines against the bright orange glow.

It was the first day of their assignment and they were waiting for night to fall, when the activity was said to take place. Hellboy had looked over the report and wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Apparently, several people had reported sounds, but no sightings. The sounds had been described slightly differently each time. In one report, it was described as a wailing. In another, a howling. A screaming in another. A screeching in yet another, and so on.

Hellboy figured this could just be kids messing around and trying to perpetuate the urban legend by sneaking into the woods after the sun goes down and screaming their heads off, or it could possibly be some sort of animal. He knew that bobcats, while scarce, did tend to wander around the area, and he also knew they made similar noises to what was described in the report, especially when they were in heat.

With these theories in mind, Hellboy didn't anticipate anything supernatural to take place, but, as always, he was very much prepared for it.

Hellboy unscrewed the top of his thermos and poured some coffee into the lid, steam rising and disappearing over the dark liquid. He held it out to Liz.

"Coffee?" He asked.

She grabbed the lid and tipped it up to her lips, taking a sip.

"I somehow pictured this to be…" Liz said, holding the thermos lid between her hands, searching for the word. "I dunno… more engaging."

"This is what the job is half the time," Hellboy said. "Waiting and watching. Patience is important to have in the field."

There was a long stretch of silence as they waited for the sun to go down. Birds could be heard in the distance, trying to get back to their nests before dark, but no other sounds could be heard. Everything was perfectly still.

Liz leaned back in her seat and tilted her head back, holding the thermos lid of coffee down at her lap.

"Well," She said quietly. "At least we get to watch the sunset like you wanted."

Hellboy felt his throat and chest tighten. He was happy that they were on speaking terms again, but the unspoken tension was enough to kill him. The last couple of days had been torture, not being able to speak to her, now it had turned into a different kind of torture. Liz knew his feelings and had experienced them firsthand. It made Hellboy feel raw and vulnerable, and he didn't care for that feeling. Being the big, tough guy that he purported to be, vulnerability wasn't exactly something he had to worry about displaying very often.

He also didn't care for the fact that he wasn't entirely sure where Liz stood on the idea of them being together. She wasn't being exactly transparent on the matter. Many of her behaviors gave Hellboy hope, but the concept of holding on when there might not even be anything to hold on to filled him with dread. He wished Liz would just let the axe fall, or take it away entirely. He didn't like how it felt as though it dangled precariously above him, invisible, yet threatening.

"Yeah…" He said.

"Hey," Liz said, reaching over to put a hand on his stone hand. "Don't sound so sad."

Hellboy looked over at her. Her head was still tilted back, exposing her neck. He could see that her hickie from Zach was almost healed, now nothing more than light, pink splotches. He had the sudden urge to give her a hickie over Zach's – one that she would actually enjoy, and not the slobbery, toothy mess that she had described.

Hellboy felt like the right thing to do was change the subject, but he felt his emotions amp up, and his mouth had opened before he could stop it. Besides, _she _had started in on this topic.

"It's kind of hard to not be sad, Liz," He said simply.

Liz took her hand away from his stone one and turned in her seat to look at him easier. The sun's orange glow was almost nonexistent, casting half of her face in shadow.

"Hellboy…" Liz said. "I just… I need time to figure this out."

"You've been spending the last three days figuring it out," Hellboy said, immediately regretting it. "I'm… I'm sorry. That came out wrong."

Liz crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat, expression unreadable.

"I'm sorry," Hellboy repeated. "I guess I'm just desperate for an answer."

Liz sighed. "I get it… but, if you want me to let you in on why it's so hard for me to come to a decision, it's because I've never thought of you like that in the seven years we've known each other. You've always just been my annoying older brother."

Hellboy nodded. "And you've always been my annoying little sister. I'm not trying to make it a contest, but it was weird for me to suddenly see you as anything but."

"I guess I'm just trying to warm up to the idea," Liz explained.

Hellboy felt his tail twitch with confusion. Her comment sounded an awful lot like 'I'm going to say yes, just gimme a minute.'

"It's like…" Liz went on. "Like I put all of this caution tape around you over the years. Like I cordoned you off. It feels like I'm in the process of tearing all the caution tape off, but it's just a piece at a time."

Hellboy felt his body stiffen and his heart begin to race, a cautious excitement starting to flood his mind. She had practically told him yes.

"I don't mean to rush you," Hellboy said. "I'll back off. I shouldn't be so impatient. I've just never felt this intensely about… well, anything, really."

Liz nodded and they said nothing more about the topic the rest of the night. They stayed up talking about everything else until the sun was about to come up. It almost felt like old times, before she got sent away. Almost.

Hellboy noticed Liz was fighting to keep her eyes open and he helped her into the backseat. He covered her up and slid a pillow under her head. Carefully, he shut the door and crawled into the front seat, reclining it back as far as it would go, not feeling especially tired, but figuring he should take sleep where he could get it.

Hellboy made sure all the doors were locked, but kept the front windows both open just a little, and fell asleep almost instantly.

.

.

.

Hellboy awoke to the crunching of leaves under foot outside the vehicle. His yellow eyes slowly came open and he squinted in the sudden daylight. After his eyes adjusted, he looked for the source of the footsteps and saw Liz slowly walking around, examining the ground closely.

He stretched, taking a deep breath, his spine popping a few times. He stumbled out of the car and walked up to Liz.

"Find anything, Agent Sherman?" He asked.

Liz whipped her head around, smiling a little sheepishly at the name.

"Yeah, actually," She said. "There's a trail of blood."

Hellboy came closer to investigate. There was blood scattered on the leaves and grass, and it looked as though it had soaked into the ground. It looked fresh. There was quite a bit of it and it definitely formed a trail.

"Hmm," Hellboy said, tugging at his goatee. "I didn't hear any noise last night, but this blood looks recent. Could have just been an animal. I have a bobcat theory."

"If it was a bobcat," Liz said with a hint of incredulousness. "You'd think we would have heard something. You might sleep like you're in a coma, but I don't. I'm pretty sure I would have at least heard it."

"It's just a theory," Hellboy defended, smoothing his goatee back down. "You'll find that it's important to be open to every possibility in the field, both paranormal and average. This could be the work of some monster… or it could be a goddamn bobcat." He shrugged and started following the trail of blood.

Liz followed behind, looking at Hellboy more than she was looking at the blood trail. She found herself caught off guard as she observed him. She had seen Hellboy thousands of times over the years, but this morning, she almost felt like she was seeing him in a whole new light. She watched how his tail swayed and twitched as he walked along. She watched how his hooves formed to the terrain with each step. How his great stone hand hung down at his side like a hammer.

Liz briefly remembered how Hellboy had initially frightened her when he first came to comfort her, but how quickly she had gotten over his appearance. It was a strange time in her life, so strangeness seemed almost welcome, and a friendly face was a friendly face.

She watched him walk along, feeling like she was really _seeing _him for the first time. She had always felt like Hellboy was attractive, in a completely platonic and non-conventional way, but she was beginning to see why Faith had been so crazy about him. She felt herself blushing slightly as she realized that she had been staring at him for the last 5 minutes as she trailed along behind him.

Liz nearly ran into him as he stopped abruptly.

"Trail ends here," He said, pulling a cigarette out of the pack in his duster pocket and putting it between his lips. He went fishing around for his Zippo, but Liz stopped him.

"Here," She said, coming up in front of him. "I got it."

Liz held an index finger up to the tip of his cigarette and easily ignited the end into embers.

"Thanks, Agent Sherman," Hellboy said, the faintest bit of teasing in his voice.

Liz found herself transfixed as she looked up at him. She admired how the sunlight reflected off of his yellow eyes, making them appear as if they were glowing. She couldn't help but feel a slight warmness below her waist as she watched the cigarette smoke seep through his lips. It gave him something of a roguish appearance.

Her trance was broken when an embarrassingly loud growl emerged from her stomach. Hellboy couldn't repress his chuckle even if he had tried.

"Ya hungry, kid?" He asked, tapping his ashes on the ground.

"I guess so," Liz admitted. "But we need to do more investigating."

"Nah," Hellboy said, dismissively waving a hand. "Not really a point to hang around during the day when all the activity happens at night. Let's go get some breakfast, go back to the Bureau and grab some showers. We'll come back at dusk."

Liz obviously wanted to protest, looking at the blood trail like it was going to do something interesting.

"Look, I get it," Hellboy said. "It's your first mission, and you're excited. I was, too. But I've been at this a while and I have pretty good intuition. It'll be fine. Let's go get some pancakes."

Hellboy walked back to the car, his cigarette leaving a small trail of smoke behind him as he went. After a few moments, Liz reluctantly followed him.

.

.

.

After stopping at a small roadside diner to grab a quick bite to eat, Hellboy and Liz headed back to the Bureau, parting ways to go wash up at their own apartments.

Liz stripped down and got in the shower, trying to sort out her thoughts as clearly and concisely as possible. She wanted to be certain that she was really feeling what she thought she was feeling. She didn't want to jump the gun and possibly hurt Hellboy later down the road.

While she knew that these feelings were almost definitely the byproduct of Hellboy exposing his feelings, she couldn't help but feel like there was a part of it that wasn't. A small part of it that was entirely her own. She began wondering if she would feel this way if Hellboy hadn't said anything.

_Probably not_, She decided.

Hellboy was absolutely big brother material as far as she was concerned. The thought of him being anything more or less than that was a strange concept to her, and yet, here she was, entertaining that very concept. Never in a million years did Liz think her and Hellboy would ever come to this point – had, in fact, never even thought about it in passing – but, here it was. Here they were.

And Liz was finding herself increasingly more excited.

.

.

.

Hellboy stepped out of the shower and toweled himself off. Once dry, he wrapped the towel around his waist and wiped the steam away from the mirror with his flesh hand.

Something most people didn't know about him was that he absolutely hated looking at his reflection, and that it was something he had been trying to overcome ever since he became hyperaware that he was different.

He loathed the moments when he would be doing completely normal, average things, and almost begin to feel normal and average himself, then something would remind him that he was an anomaly.

He would catch his reflection in a mirror or window. He would feel his tail twitch in reaction to something. He would become aware of the dragging weight of his Right Hand of Doom. He would turn his gaze upward or roll his eyes and see his horn stumps. He would hear his hooves clip-clopping on linoleum or concrete, people would stare at him just a little too long, people would stop talking when he entered a room.

His own adopted father had even pointed out how he was different, how he couldn't really hope for a normal life; especially a normal love life. That talk with his father had broken him in ways that he didn't care to think about. Trevor had always taught Hellboy that he was no different than a human where it mattered: in heart and mind.

But as Hellboy matured physically, Trevor was swift to remind him that while he was no different inside, he was very different outside. So different, in fact, that out of the billions of women on the planet, there wasn't a single one that was capable of falling in love with him. It had made him feel isolated and angry for years.

The only person that ever made him feel completely normal was Liz. Upon their first meeting, Liz had reacted to his appearance with a little bit of fear, but the fear had fallen away almost as quickly as it had come. The fear turned to curiosity. They had instantly become best friends.

Liz was one of the few people that was capable of looking him straight in the eye – not wandering up to his horn stumps or drifting elsewhere – but right in his eyes.

Hell, even now, looking in the mirror, Hellboy had a hard time not looking at his own horn stumps.

Aside from the way she looked at him, Liz had this way of treating him that very few people seemed capable of. While nearly everyone else that Hellboy came into contact with seemed at least a little on-edge around him, Liz seemed more than comfortable. Most people acted like they were afraid of upsetting him, either because of his obvious demonic origins or because of stories they had heard, so they tended to walk on eggshells around him.

Not Liz. While people treated him differently, Liz treated him like a normal person. Obviously she had more love in her heart for Hellboy than she had for anyone else, so she treated him better, but it had nothing to do with some subconscious fear she had of him. It was simply because she thought the world of him.

Having Liz's friendship had taught him many things over the years. Patience, selflessness, generosity, empathy and kindness to name a few.

Now, it would seem, he was learning about romantic love from her.

With a long, quiet sigh, Hellboy turned away from the mirror and walked out of the bathroom, towel wrapped tightly around his waist. He walked over to his dresser and began pulling out a few articles of clothing when it registered that his television was on.

Realizing that he hadn't turned it on, and had no reason to turn it on, he whipped his head around and saw the very top of Liz's head poking up from the beanbag chair.

"You're fortunate I decided to wear a towel," Hellboy grumbled amusedly.

Liz turned around and popped her head up over the hump of the beanbag chair, a mischievous look on her face.

"I wouldn't complain if you hadn't," She said somewhat coquettishly.

Hellboy froze in place, almost as if he were trying to determine if he had heard her correctly. He looked over at her and studied her face, which reminded him an awful lot of the cat that ate the canary.

He had most definitely heard her correctly, but was unsure how to respond. He wanted to flirt back, but had no experience and would, more than likely, make a fool of himself in some way. Whatever he said would probably end up being too forward or too disingenuous. He figured it was best to pretend he hadn't heard her clearly to save himself from embarrassment.

Hellboy grabbed his clothing and walked back into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. He leaned over the sink, placing his palms flat on the edge of the countertop. His breathing became slightly labored as he assessed what this meant. Liz had never said anything even remotely sexual towards him before.

This could only mean…

Feeling as if he could lose consciousness at any moment from the overwhelming thoughts and emotions swarming through him, Hellboy got dressed and, as calmly as possible, walked back out of the bathroom and over to where Liz was seated.

"What did you mean?" Hellboy asked almost boyishly, keeping his eyes carefully away from her and focusing on the floor of his apartment. "'You wouldn't complain?'"

Liz couldn't stop the giggle from escaping her throat as she looked up at him from the beanbag chair.

"I meant exactly what I said," Liz said with that same hint of coquettishness. "It wouldn't have bothered me if you had come out here naked."

Hellboy felt his throat tighten at her change of wording, feeling almost as if he had forgotten how to breathe. He looked down at her, eyes squinting with uncertainty.

"So…" He said. "Does that mean…?"

Liz smiled and nodded up at him.

Hellboy felt as though he was going to explode with happiness. His first girlfriend. It was almost too much to take in at once. He felt entirely unsure on how to proceed with the fairly unexpected turn of events, especially since it was Liz. He had never, in a million years, expected them to be a couple. Now that the day had come, his mind was a frantic blank.

"Well?" Liz said with playful impatience. "Do I have to cuddle with myself, or what?"

Without hesitation, almost as if he were waiting for Liz's order, he laid back on the beanbag chair next to her. She threw a blanket over them and rested her head on his chest.

Despite the fact that what they were doing wasn't much different than what they usually did – cuddling and watching television – it felt different, at least to Hellboy. He felt almost nervous. His feelings were out in the open, which was liberating, and he had gotten the result he had wanted as consequence for bringing them out in the open, which was even more liberating. But now he felt nervous that he would say or do the wrong thing. He had absolutely no experience with this sort of thing; it was completely uncharted territory.

"Pounding heart," Liz observed, reaching her hand down and grabbing his left hand, lacing her fingers through his. "Sweaty-as-fuck palm. You nervous or something?"

Hellboy swallowed. "I mean… kind of."

"Why? It's just me."

Hellboy inhaled, his nervousness being compounded by the fact that Liz had called him out on being nervous. She was right – it was just her. He had known her for years. Why was laying with her here, now, any different than it was before? Did being in love, as opposed to loving, really make that big of a difference?

"Yeah," Hellboy said absentmindedly. "I guess it is."

"What do you mean, 'you guess?'" Liz asked playfully, index finger dragging across his clothed chest in a random trail.

"Well, I mean…" Hellboy said. "This changes things, doesn't it? Things are different between us now, right?"

Liz laughed and propped herself up over him with her palms flat on the beanbag chair, the sides of her wrists scraped up against his muscular, crimson shoulders. Her auburn hair hung down over her right shoulder, touching the side of his face. Her legs were straddling his sides, the squishiness of the beanbag chair and how large Hellboy was causing her groin to be pressed right up against his lower belly.

"They don't have to be," Liz said. "I'm still me and you're still you. We just might be a little more intimate from time to time."

"More intimate?" Hellboy asked, slightly confused. "I thought we were pretty intimate already. I tell you basically everything. I think you know more than Trevor does."

"Hellboy," Liz said, smiling and shaking her head, causing her hair to ripple like the surface of a lake after a pebble had been tossed in. She eased back down to lay next to him as she had been doing before. "I'm talking about sex."

Hellboy felt as though he had been punched in the gut, his lungs suddenly devoid of air.

"Sex?" He asked, mostly because he felt suddenly overwhelmed at the concept and his brain wasn't exactly firing on all cylinders.

"Yeah," She laughed. "It's a thing most couples do with each other. They put their genitals together. It feels nice. Maybe you've seen it in those nudie mags and pornos you look at. You know… sex."

"I know what sex is," Hellboy said, a faint trace of defensiveness in his tone. "It's just… sex with you. It seems…"

"Oh, god," Liz said, forcing her voice to strain. "Is this gonna be one of those sexless marriages?"

"Marriage?" Hellboy asked. "We only just started-"

Liz smacked his chest, laughing. "It's an expression, Red. But… am I going to need to take the reins on initiating sex?"

"Uh…" Hellboy managed to get out.

"'Cuz, really, it's not a problem," Liz said, shrugging next to him. "I have an extremely high sex drive. I'm almost constantly horny and I don't have a problem asking."

It was odd to hear her speak this way since she had never been quite so candid, at least with her sexuality. That was one of the few things neither of them discussed in detail. While it was odd for Hellboy to absorb this new, extremely personal information, it was very welcome. He was glad to hear that Liz claimed to have a high sex drive, but he doubted that it was able to match his. Hellboy had accepted long ago that he would never be able to find a woman with the ability to keep up with his libido, and he had to remind himself that that's what his left hand was for: taking care of it himself when his partner wasn't up for it or couldn't keep up with his lust.

He wanted to, in a way, warn Liz about how ravenous his sex drive could be. He wanted to tell her that there were days where he masturbated up in the double digits and still felt unsatisfied. That there were moments when he saw a woman who he found particularly attractive, either on television or in person, and his imagination got extremely carried away. He wanted to tell her that his libido had only increased over the years since puberty hit him.

He wanted to tell Liz all of these things, but he felt like it would pressure her to know this information. Pressure her into sex before she was ready, almost as if it were a challenge, and then pressure her to be 'enough' for him, which he knew that was impossible, no matter how high her sex drive was. He wished there was a way to tell her these things, but also let her know that he didn't care if she could keep up with him or not; that just being with her romantically, rather than sexually, was enough. While he wanted to experience sex, he wanted Liz to be ready for it.

"That so?" He asked, hoping he was doing a decent enough job hiding his nervousness, and also hoping his response was neutral enough.

"Mm-hmm," Liz said. "What about you? How's your sex drive?"

_Well_, Hellboy thought. _Since she asked_…

"Pretty high," Hellboy said slowly and quietly with a shrug.

"Perfect," Liz said.

Without another word, she pressed her lips to his neck and began sucking. Hellboy jerked slightly, but allowed her to continue.

"W-what are you doing?" He asked nervously.

She pulled her mouth away and looked up at him, hunger shining in her amber eyes.

"I could see from what Abe showed me that you liked this," She said playfully.

She went back to sucking on his neck, and Hellboy slowly relaxed into it. He felt his cock becoming engorged and was grateful that he was wearing sweatpants as opposed to something more constrictive, otherwise his erection would be causing him great discomfort. As Liz sucked his neck, he couldn't stop the small moans from escaping him. He slowly allowed his head to tilt back, allowing Liz better access to his neck, his cock throbbing to life from the contact.

He could feel himself becoming aroused in a way that he'd never quite been before. Instead of simply feeling horny, he felt almost violent as well. He felt like he wanted to dominate, to flip over on top of Liz and take whatever he needed to feel satisfied.

_Behave_, He reminded himself. _Don't think like that._

"Bite my neck," Hellboy said, only vaguely aware that he had said anything.

Liz grazed her teeth across the crimson flesh of his neck, making Hellboy pant and gasp lightly.

"Harder," He said, his voice feeling as though it wasn't coming from him.

Liz obeyed, digging her teeth in, but it still wasn't satisfying his need fully.

"Harder," He said. "As hard as you can."

Liz eagerly complied until her teeth were latched into his skin, sinking into the flesh, causing him to moan and exhale in ecstasy, his cock reaching maximum hardness. It took all of his self control to keep his hand off of it.

Instead, Liz began reaching for it.

At first, once he realized what she was reaching for, he felt panicked. His first initial instinct was to stop her, but he reminded himself that he wasn't pressuring her. She was acting of her own free will. She was the one who had mentioned sex in the first place, she was the one who had started sucking on his neck, and now she was the one reaching for his cock. It wouldn't be right to stop her if this is what she had decided to do.

As Liz touched Hellboy's cock through his sweatpants, her jaw slackened gradually. Eventually, she took her mouth away from his neck entirely, much to Hellboy's displeasure, and she sat up, straddling his waist. She looked down at his groin and her eyes flared open in surprise.

"Is that…" Liz started quietly, voice uneven. "Is that your…"

Liz took one of her hands and pressed her palm against the outline of his erection, running it up and down the length of his shaft. Even through the fabric, it was enough to send a jolt of pleasure through Hellboy's body.

"How _big _are you?" Liz asked. "My god…"

"I guess it's pretty big," Hellboy said. "Faith said it was the biggest she had seen."

"Can I see it?" Liz asked, almost as if she didn't really want to see it. She sounded more curious than aroused.

"I mean," Hellboy said sheepishly. "I ain't gonna stop you."

Carefully, Liz tucked her fingers into the waistband of his sweats and pulled down, revealing his cock, which had come out of the slit of his boxers. Liz stared at his cock in disbelief. She carefully wrapped her hand around it, almost as if she didn't believe it was real. One of her hands only went halfway around it. The contact sent shivers down his spine. Liz felt her legs instinctively wanting to cross themselves as she observed the massive length and girth.

"I've never seen a dick like this," Liz said, sounding somewhat nervous. "I didn't know they could get this big…"

Hellboy had to control himself. Seeing Liz with his cock in her hand almost pushed him over the edge. It made him feel crazy with lust – he wanted her to jerk on it, suck on it, anything – but he restrained himself, keeping his hands at his sides and mouth shut.

Liz laid his cock down over his stomach, as if she thought it would hurt him somehow if she simply let go of it.

"I'm not really sure how to approach that," Liz said, sounding apologetic. "Um… I mean, I could try. It's just…"

"No pressure," Hellboy said, pulling his sweats back up over his cock, despite his raging testosterone demanding that he pin her to the floor and take her. "I can take care of it myself. I've been doing it for over twenty years."

"I want to be able to please you myself, somehow," Liz said. "I'm just not sure about sex. Not right away, anyway. I feel like it'll take preparation. And lots of foreplay."

Hellboy simply nodded, not wanting to sway her one way or the other. He told himself he had to stick to his vow – that he would never pressure her in any way – despite his cock trying to make him do exactly that. He desperately tried to get his erection to go down, but the image and feeling of Liz holding it moments ago was burned into his brain, keeping him not only rock-hard, but ready to sexually dominate.

Still straddling his waist, she looked back down at his crotch.

"It sure doesn't go down very fast, does it?" She asked, sounding uneasy.

"It usually takes a while," Hellboy said, only partially lying. It did usually take a little bit for his erections to die down, but not this long. It was still almost at full stiffness. "It would probably help if you weren't straddling me."

"Oh, right," Liz said, rolling off of him and onto the floor beside the beanbag chair. "Sorry."

She focused on the television, appearing as if she were looking through it. She seemed uncomfortable now. Moments ago, she was eager to cuddle and fool around. Now, she seemed like she didn't even want to touch him, sitting on the floor instead of right next to him. For the first time in their entire friendship, she seemed almost scared of him.

"Liz…" He said quietly, rolling over on the beanbag chair to look at her and pulling the blanket up over him so she couldn't see his gradually dying erection. "Don't worry about it. It won't bother me if we can't… y'know."

"I'll try to figure something out," Liz said. "I just… _damn_. I'm not sure what to do with something like that."

"Don't worry about it," Hellboy repeated. "I'm more worried about me pleasing you than I am about you pleasing me. You at least have experience with this stuff."

"Exactly," She said. "You don't have any experience. And you won't get any experience until we figure something out."

"Sex isn't the only thing we can do," Hellboy said. "There are other things."

"What, like oral?" She asked. "I'm not sure I can fit it in my mouth."

"It doesn't have to be about me," Hellboy hinted.

"Oh…" Liz said. "Well, I've gotten oral a few times, and it never really felt all that great."

Hellboy kept himself from saying what he really wanted to say. He wanted to demand that she pull her shorts down, spread her legs and let him lick until she screamed. Hell, he had half a mind to just rip her shorts off himself and have at it, but he behaved himself.

"Ah," He said. "Maybe you just don't like it, then."

"I mean…" Liz said timidly. "I'd be willing to try. I feel like those guys just didn't do it right. I've heard from almost every female I know that it feels amazing when the guy actually responds to the girl's body language."

Hellboy simply nodded, rolling onto his back and focusing on the television, not wanting her to feel pressured about it one way or the other. He wanted to give her the impression that it wasn't any skin off his back if they did it or not, even though his mind was reeling excitedly at the thought of it.

After a few moments of silence and stillness, he saw Liz stand. He assumed maybe she was going to use the restroom or to grab a snack, but she began peeling her shorts off, letting them hit the floor around her ankles. Hellboy stared at her, unable to look away. She pulled her panties off and threw them on top of her shorts. At the sight of her bare ass, Hellboy's cock sprang back to full attention within seconds.

Without saying a word, Liz stood over him, legs spread, facing away from his legs. He looked up at her ass and vagina, his cock throbbing with hunger. He studied the light reddish-brown fuzz that covered her vagina and swallowed somewhat nervously. She lowered herself down on his face and he eagerly opened his mouth, letting his tongue explore her.

For the first few moments, Hellboy let his tongue wander around experimentally. There wasn't much of a taste or smell, but her folds felt silky and slick. Once he was done showing himself around, his tongue wandered up to where he knew the clit resided. He carefully ran his tongue over it, causing Liz to tense slightly. It didn't seem like a bad tensing, so Hellboy carefully, gently licked a few more times to test Liz's reaction.

When he looked up, he could see that her nipples had become erect through the fabric of her shirt. He took this as a good sign, along with the fact that she hadn't asked him to stop. He so desperately wanted to reach up with his left hand and grope her titties, or savagely rip her shirt off, but he forced himself to back away from the idea.

Hellboy couldn't be sure, but he thought he heard a small moan escape her. Liz reached behind her and threw the blanket off of Hellboy's lower half, hand searching blindly for his crotch. Hellboy decided to aid her, since she seemed deadset on finding it, and pulled his sweats down. She found his cock in seconds and began jerking. It didn't feel the best since her hand was too small and weak to jerk it properly, but he allowed her to do it all the same.

Hellboy noticed that Liz seemed to react the most positively whenever he licked the area beneath her clit, rather than directly on it. She also seemed to like it when he was consistent with his tongue strokes, so he focused on the same area beneath her clit, tongue swishing around in a tiny, gentle circle with the occasional suction thrown in.

Liz had started moaning rather girlishly, rubbing her nipples through her shirt with her free hand, hands and body shaking. She had stopped jerking on Hellboy's cock, and had taken to almost squeezing it, seeming to have forgotten what she had sent that hand to do. Hellboy didn't mind – he was thoroughly enjoying being squished between Liz's thighs and, apparently, giving her pleasure.

Liz began squirming, breathing becoming heavier by the moment. She took her hand away from his cock and placed her palm flat on top of his head, her entire body shaking violently. What sounded almost like a scream escaped her lips, followed by a series of grunts and gasps. She bounced up and down on his face, causing his cock to twitch with excitement, and he felt a series of muscle contractions coming from her vagina that lasted about 10 seconds.

Her whole body feeling tense and relaxed at the same time, she rolled off of his face and collapsed beside him on the beanbag chair, panting and sweating.

"Are you okay?" Hellboy asked, his face feeling damp. "Did I do it right?"

Liz looked over at him, mouth hanging open and sweat settling on her cheeks and forehead. She looked as if she had just taken a hit of a powerful drug, or had just woken up from a nap that left her exceptionally groggy.

"Yeah…" She said dreamily. "I've never… I've never had it like that. That was really… nice."

Hellboy felt prideful in that moment. Cunnilingus was his most prominent fetish, and it turned out that he was great at it. His first time doing anything with a woman, and he had made her climax where others, presumably with experience, had failed to do so.

After a few moments of recuperating, Liz got back on top of him, straddling his waist and grabbing his cock. He could feel the moistness of her vagina on his thigh.

"What are you doing?" He asked, looking down at her.

"I think I'm wet and relaxed enough to try," Liz said. "Do you have a condom?"

"Uh…" Hellboy said. "It would be useless for me to use one. I, uh… my body doesn't work like that. I can't get you pregnant, or contract or carry any diseases. So, uh…"

"Oh…" Liz said. "Do you know that for a fact?"

"Yeah, uh…" Hellboy said, wiping his mouth off with the back of his flesh hand. "Extensive experiments from the Bureau when I was a kid."

He hated having to talk about all of this now, in the heat of the moment. He was finally experiencing something most normal people experienced, and enjoying the hell out of it, but he had to be reminded of how different he was in the middle of it all.

"Well, if you're sure…" Liz said.

She placed the head of his cock at her opening, having to squat over it to do so. She began pushing herself down on it, managing to get almost half of his head in before she began showing signs of discomfort. The feeling of her warm, wet pussy on his massive, throbbing cock, even if it was merely the tip of his tip, was enough to almost make him grab Liz by the shoulders and slam her down on his crimson shaft.

_No, no, no, _Hellboy thought to himself angrily. _You can't think like that._

"Liz," Hellboy said, placing his hands on her hips gently, trying to keep her from pushing down farther. "Like you said – it'll take preparation. We can do it some other time when you're ready."

"I want to get you off, though," Liz said. "You got me off."

"I don't want you to do it through sex," Hellboy said. "You'll hurt yourself."

"Okay," Liz said, rolling off of him and resting beside the beanbag chair. "Handjob, then?"

"Sounds good," Hellboy said, nodding. "If that's what you wanna do."

Liz grabbed his cock in both hands, the first knuckles of her hands just managing to overlap. To Hellboy's surprise, she got her mouth close to his cock and spit on it, using it as lubricant, gliding her hands up and down with ease. Once Liz got her momentum going and found a good rhythm, Hellboy couldn't stop himself from throwing his head back in ecstasy and letting out a moan.

Hellboy became aware of a warm wetness on the tip of his cock and looked down to see that Liz had stuffed his head into her mouth, sucking on it like a lollipop, still jerking on the shaft with both of her hands.

"God damn," Hellboy hissed as he took in the sight.

Liz took her hands and mouth away from his cock, which caused Hellboy to feel somewhat indignant. He wanted to shove it back in her mouth as far as he could and demand that she suck him dry, and to not stop until he was satisfied, but he, once again, had to force himself to behave; to not pressure her or act like a barbarian.

Liz had apparently stopped to remove her shirt and bra, throwing them into the pile with her other articles of clothing. Seeing her small, round breasts with their small, peach-colored nipples made it hard for Hellboy to remain where he was, fighting the urge to stand up and suck on her perky tits.

Liz crouched back down, but this time, she aimed a little lower. She spit into the palms of her hands, wrapped them around his shaft and began pumping, but went for his balls instead. His balls were in scale with his cock, each one about the size of a tennis ball. Liz couldn't fit one in her mouth, so she took to licking and sucking on them while she pumped, causing Hellboy to throw his head back again.

Liz wandered up the shaft of his penis with her tongue until she got back to the head, sucking on his cock head with more vigor than before. This time around, she was sucking almost as hard as she could, and pumping on his shaft so hard and fast that it made her titties bounce.

Hellboy became aware of that familiar feeling rushing up to greet him, threatening to greet the back of Liz's throat if he didn't warn her.

"Liz," Hellboy managed to say between his moans. "Take your mouth away. I'm almost… take your mouth away, now…"

Liz continued eagerly sucking and stroking, even though she had to have heard Hellboy's warning. Before he knew it, he had started cumming in her mouth, the first part of his load nailing her right in the uvula, causing her to gag violently and pull her head back. She fell onto her knees, trying to regain her composure.

Hellboy pulled his shirt down and cupped it over his cock as he continued to climax, trying his best to not get it all over himself. Once he was done, he laid there in a daze, vaguely aware that Liz was sitting on the floor at his hooves. When he came back to reality, he sat up and carefully pulled his shirt off, wadding it up in his large stone hand.

"Are you okay?" Hellboy asked groggily.

"Yeah," Liz said. "I wasn't expecting it to shoot like that. Or for there to be so much."

Hellboy felt ridiculously self conscious, standing up and pulling his sweats back up with his free hand. He tossed his shirt into a nearby hamper.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Hellboy said, holding his left hand down to her. "I tried to warn you."

Liz took his hand and stood. Looking down at her naked, pale form had him becoming excited all over again and ready for round 2. He fantasized about picking her up and slamming his massive cock into her tiny, hot slit, or having her suck him off again, or having her sit on his face while he jerked himself off, or her giving him a handjob and letting him cum all over her face, or…

Hellboy had to snap himself out of it. It seemed as though becoming sexually active had awakened something in him that he wasn't quite aware had existed before, at least to this degree. On some level, he felt like he should be able to do these things to Liz, whether she wanted it or not. He felt like he had the right to her body, as if she belonged to him now. The only thing stopping him from carrying out his desires was that he knew this wasn't an okay way of thinking.

"Yeah, you did," Liz said, rubbing her throat. "Well… we both got our jollies. What do you want to do now?"

"How about a nap?" Hellboy offered. "We've got a good while before we need to go back to Black Rock."

"Good idea," Liz said. "That orgasm took a lot out of me. I'm just gonna go rinse my mouth out real quick."

Liz walked to the bathroom and Hellboy felt absolutely predatory as he watched her bare backside. His cock stiffened as he imagined grabbing her, propping her up on the bathroom counter and mercilessly pounding her, regardless if she begged for more or begged him to stop.

_Whoa_, Hellboy thought to himself with alarm. _That isn't okay… not okay at all…_

Liz came back and crawled into Hellboy's bed, still as naked as the day she was born. She patted the empty space next to her, inviting him to crawl in next to her.

"Hey, uh, Liz," Hellboy said. "It might be a good idea for you to put your clothes back on."

"Why?" She asked teasingly, obviously knowing the reason why.

"There might not be a whole lotta napping if you don't put something on," Hellboy explained.

"That's fine by me," Liz said, groping her titties, attempting to tease him.

Hellboy's cock sprang back to life, easily visible through his sweats, as he watched Liz grope herself. It took everything he had to remain where he was standing, rather than pin her to the bed and ravish her. Liz took her hands away from her breasts, in awe and a little taken aback by Hellboy's readiness.

"When I said I have a high sex drive," Hellboy said. "I meant it. You could get me off ten times in a row, and I'd still be good to go another ten. So… it's probably best for you to put some clothes on. If I get too worked up, I'll just go take care of it myself, but... I think it's a good idea, at least for now... that we don't leave anything to chance. It's way too early for me to be able to tell how my sex drive works with someone else."

Seeming to understand that Hellboy had an incredibly high sex drive when confronted with a visual example, Liz hopped off of the bed and carefully got dressed. She crawled back into the bed, and Hellboy climbed in next to her. Hellboy's cock was still quite stiff, and he was still excited by the sight of Liz groping her breasts, but he shoved the memory away, his erection slowly dying down.

Liz fell asleep almost instantly. Hellboy, not so much. He was deeply troubled by his thoughts overall, but mostly his change in attitude towards Liz. He was having a hard time remembering that Liz didn't belong to him. He felt like, in some strange way, since Liz had offered her body to him, she was offering her entire self to him, to use as he pleased.

He hated dwelling on his origins even in the best of times, but he began to suspect that his shift in attitude possibly had something to do with his heritage. Since it was so out of character for him to think of other living creatures like this, and only began happening since his feelings for Liz appeared, he wondered if it was just part of his demonic origins. Perhaps it was just how male demons mated – through dominance.

Hellboy let out a silent sigh as he gently slipped his left arm over Liz's sleeping form, careful not to disturb her. He had to get a hold on this before nightfall. He was going to be all alone with Liz, deep in the woods, with nobody around for miles.

As much as he hated to admit it, the thought filled him with an almost predatory excitement.


	24. Holding Out

Hellboy leaned back in the driver's seat, looking up at the darkening sky through his open window as the sun receded behind the horizon. The sky was clear, but he could see dark clouds gathering in the distance with the threat of a storm, or, at the very least, rain.

Liz sat in the passenger seat, scribbling some things down in a notebook that she had bought specifically for missions on their way back to Black Rock. Hellboy thought it was great, how seriously she was taking her job. She had really come a long way, despite everything that held her back.

"So…" Liz said, tapping her pen against her cheek and looking over at Hellboy. "What happens if tonight is another bust?"

"It'll most likely get passed over to agents lower down the ladder," Hellboy explained. "Either that, or get handed back over to local authorities, since there'd be no proof that this is a supernatural occurrence."

"I see…" Liz said, closing her notebook on her lap and pushing the pen into the spiral spine. She squirmed in her seat, as if something were bothering her. "Um… so, would it affect anything if the Bureau knew about us dating? Like… would we be allowed to go on missions together anymore?"

Hellboy pressed his lips into a thin line as he thought. "I'm not really sure. We've never had a couple that worked together. I don't know if there are any rules in place, actually."

"So, it doesn't matter if anyone knows or not?" She asked slowly.

"Mmm…" Hellboy thought. "I wouldn't say that, exactly. They might not want us to work together, especially in groups."

"Why?" Liz asked, seeming slightly irritated.

"Distraction, favoritism," Hellboy said, holding out fingers on his left hand as he listed off his reasons. "If something happened to the other, it might be too much to handle emotionally." He shrugged. "I'm just guessin'."

"Should we not tell anyone, then?" Liz asked.

"Aren't people bound to find out?" Hellboy asked.

"Not really," Liz said. "I mean… a lot of the stuff we did before almost made us seem like a couple. As long as we don't go around holding hands or whatever, I don't think anyone will catch on."

"Trevor will…" Hellboy said a little grimly.

"How would he catch on?" She asked.

"He always does," Hellboy said simply. "He has this way of finding everything out."

"That's parents for you," Liz said with a shrug.

"He has a way of putting a stop to things, too," Hellboy grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Putting a stop to… what, exactly?" Liz asked carefully.

Hellboy shook his head vaguely and was silent for a few moments, as if he wasn't sure he wanted to say what he was about to say. He inhaled slowly.

"There's a few things you don't know about me," Hellboy said. "I grew up really fast, physically. I went through puberty at eight, and I was fully grown by ten. It was rough. It was confusing. I felt and thought all of these… things. There were all of these changes happening to me, I was angry all the time. The only people I really had to talk to about them were military guys on base. I got some pretty decent advice, but…"

Hellboy looked over at Liz, who had turned her body in the passenger seat to completely face him, her amber eyes locked on him, giving him her undivided attention.

"It got to the point where I was starting to notice girls," Hellboy said, sounding a little guilty. "I would look at them, flirt with them a little, nothing too crazy. Some would flirt back, some even flirted first. Trevor picked up on what was going on with me, and told me I had to stop."

Liz knitted her eyebrows together in confusion. "Why?"

"He said I intimidated women," Hellboy explained. "Being what I am made them uncomfortable, and if a woman showed interest in me, it was only out of curiosity rather than attraction. Years ago, Trevor took me out on an assignment. It was one of the first ones I'd ever been on, and I was excited to just get out. We stopped off somewhere to grab a bite to eat and me and this girl were flirting back and forth, and after she left, Trevor told me she was only flirting because I made her feel threatened. I… I wasn't being threatening, though."

"That's horrible," Liz said sincerely.

"There was this one girl," Hellboy went on. "Name was Amanda. Real pretty thing, really sweet. We never officially started dating, but we saw each other pretty regularly. Went on dates, hung out, talked on the phone. Knowing how Trevor would react, I kept it under wraps. He eventually found out and got kind of fired-up about it. That day, we got into one of the biggest arguments we've ever had."

"I can imagine," Liz said. "Why would he get mad, though?"

"I'm not sure," Hellboy said. "Jealousy, maybe? Maybe he doesn't want me to be stolen away from him or the Bureau? Maybe he's honestly just worried I'll get hurt. Your guess is as good as mine."

"He shouldn't keep you on a leash like that," Liz said.

Hellboy sighed and looked up at the sky. The storm clouds had gathered, and Hellboy could smell the ozone, which promised rain.

"Yeah," Hellboy grumbled quietly. "He shouldn't, but he does."

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened to Amanda?" Liz asked.

A light drizzle began pattering down on the van, causing Hellboy to crank his window back up.

"We just kind of fell out of contact," Hellboy said. "It's been a while since I actually thought about her. I guess Trevor got what he wanted…"

"Well…" Liz said, reaching over and resting her hand on his mighty stone hand. "He's not going to keep us apart."

Hellboy looked over at her, the ghost of a smile spread across his face, when he was taken off guard by the way she was leaning. Liz was wearing a blue, low scoop tank top. With her leaning forward, he could see directly down her top – her cleavage and black, lacy bra were on full display to him. He would have forced himself to look away if he had been aware enough to realize he was staring.

Liz laughed when she realized what he was doing.

"You like what you see?" She asked teasingly, rocking her chest from side to side.

"Um…" Hellboy said absentmindedly, making himself look back up at her face.

"Are you ready for round two?" She asked, leaning closer, her hand traveling from his stone hand toward his groin.

"We shouldn't," Hellboy said, shrinking back from her as best he could in the cramped quarters. "Not out here, not while we're on assignment…"

"Oh, come on," Liz said, climbing on top of him and straddling his lap. "It would be so hot. Out here, in the middle of nowhere. I'm getting turned on just thinking about it."

Hellboy could see that her nipples had grown hard and were poking through the fabric of her bra and tank top. Just as he was about to reject her advances a second time, she pulled her tank top down, revealing her delicate, lacey bra. Without thinking, Hellboy rested his face in between her small breasts, causing her to giggle quietly, seemingly happy to have ensnared him in her trap.

"If you wanna see my titties," Liz said teasingly. "You're gonna have to beg…"

Hellboy reached his left hand up the back of her tank top, reaching for the clasp, feeling a sense of desperation to get her unclothed suddenly overtake him.

"Uh-uh," Liz laughed, squirming so that he couldn't grab the clasp. "Ask me nicely."

Hellboy enclosed his hand around the back of her bra, the clasp in his palm.

"Let me take your bra off, or I'm ripping it off," Hellboy said suddenly, getting that strange feeling that he wasn't the one that had said it.

Hellboy was nervous for a moment. He thought perhaps he was being too straightforward or pushy and nearly apologized, when a devious little smile broke out over Liz's face.

"Ooh," She said. "I like forcefulness."

"D-do you?" Hellboy asked, feeling in control once more, taking his hand away from her bra and sliding it back out of her top.

Liz gave a slightly bashful nod, her cheeks reddening. "I, um… I kind of have a… sort of like… a rape fetish, I guess… I've never told anyone."

"I see," Hellboy said, excited to hear about Liz's turn-ons. "What sort of… stuff do you like having done to you?"

Liz laughed nervously. "I've never had a guy do it, since I've ever told anyone, but I have some fantasies."

"Like what?" Hellboy asked, looking up at her as she still straddled his lap, hoping that he wasn't being too invasive, but feeling much too curious to stop.

"Like…" Liz started hesitantly, bashfully, keeping her eyes away from his. "Being held down, being groped. Being choked or having my mouth covered while the guy…"

Liz gradually stopped talking, and it was obviously out of nervousness and modesty more than being uncomfortable.

"Do you actually want that stuff done to you?" Hellboy asked.

Liz nodded, a shy smile on her face.

"You want me to do that stuff?" Hellboy asked.

Another shy smile and nod combo, her cheeks becoming so red that they looked hot to the touch. Hellboy got a little nervous. He felt like normal sex might be enough to make him get a little too rough, but what of rapeplay? Would that be better or worse for his self-control? He decided he was going to make a point to stay hyperaware of himself and not get carried away. If he felt himself becoming unaware, he would stop.

"How will I know if you want me to stop?" He asked.

"I'll say a word," Liz said. "How about…" She looked outside, noticing that the rain had picked up. "Umbrella?"

"Okay…" Hellboy said. "But you said you like having your mouth covered. How will you say 'umbrella' if I have a hand over your mouth?"

"I could pinch you," Liz said. "Think that would work?"

"It should, yeah," Hellboy said, becoming rather excited at the concept. He grabbed a small flashlight and turned it on, propping it up in the cup holder and pointing it up to the ceiling so that they had enough light to see with.

"Okay," Liz said, practically trembling with excitement at the thought of having an outlet for her fetish. "Ready?"

"Ready if you are," Hellboy answered.

Liz nodded, peeling her top off and throwing it over in the passenger seat. She reached back, unclasped her bra, and began taking it off when Hellboy suddenly reached up and yanked it off, causing Liz to gasp with surprise. He threw it in the passenger seat with her top, and picked Liz up, pushing her into the backseat. He managed to squeeze his large body between the seats and join her in the back. She reached for the handle on the sliding door, as if she were going to try to escape, but Hellboy, very carefully, yet firmly, grabbed her by the wrist in his left hand and pulled her back down onto the seat next to him.

He began carefully sucking on her neck, still firmly holding her wrist, and she attempted to squirm away. As much as Hellboy hated to admit it, her struggling was making him excited. Actual rape disgusted him, but this consensual rape thing was turning him on more than he felt comfortable admitting. His pants had become so tight that it was almost unbearable. Hellboy kissed his way savagely down her neck until he got to her breasts, where he hungrily searched for a nipple, which was made harder than he anticipated by her attempts to free herself from his grip.

It would have been easier if he was willing to use both hands, but he refused to utilize his stone hand at a time like this, instead letting it rest on the seat next to him. It would be much too easy to get carried away.

Hellboy took his hand away from her wrist and very carefully wrapped it around her delicate throat, causing her to remain still.

"Stay still," Hellboy quietly demanded, getting that detached sensation once more.

Liz swallowed, and Hellboy reveled in the sensation of her throat bulging out beneath his palm. She nodded as best she could with his hand holding her head back in such an awkward position, and Hellboy lowered his head back down to her breasts, keeping his hand around her throat as he did so.

The rain increased in volume and began pounding on the roof of the van.

Hellboy sucked one of her perky, peach-colored nipples into his mouth, gently sucking and rolling his tongue around the circumference, loving the way Liz jolted ever-so-slightly when he flicked his tongue against the tip.

Feeling his cock reach maximum hardness, Hellboy took his stone hand and unzipped his pants, needing to relieve the pressure before he went insane.

"Umbrella!" Liz said suddenly.

Startled, Hellboy took his hand away from her throat and mouth away from her breast, backing away a few inches until he was almost in the front seat again.

"Are you okay?" Hellboy asked, voice dripping with concern. "What's wrong? Was I squeezing too hard?"

"No," Liz said. "Um… were you going to try to put it in?"

"No, no," Hellboy said, waving his hands. "It was just getting really cramped. It starts to hurt after a while."

"Oh…" Liz said, seeming to hesitate.

"Why do you ask?" Hellboy asked.

"I mean…" Liz said. "I thought you were going to try to ram it in or something. I don't think that would end well for me."

"I wouldn't do that," Hellboy said. "Not even if you asked. That's too much, too soon."

"Yeah…" Liz said, crossing her arms over her bare chest.

Hellboy, sensing that the mood had changed, reached into the passenger seat and retrieved her bra and tank top, offering them to her.

"Thanks," She said, taking them, but making no move to put them on. She looked down at his cock in the light illuminating from the flashlight, which was still rock hard. "Do you want me to do something about that?"

"No, it'll go away eventually," He said. "Just gotta calm down."

"It excited you, too?" She asked.

"Yeah," Hellboy said. "I didn't expect to get going like that… sorry if I got too rough. I don't know what came over me."

"No, I liked it," Liz said. "It got me more excited than I've ever been. I'm soaked."

Hellboy felt his cock twitch, thinking about her pussy being drenched. He was just going to drop the conversation and change the subject entirely, but he felt himself becoming excited all over again.

"Are you still horny?" He asked.

"Extremely," Liz said honestly.

"Do you want me to do something about that?" Hellboy asked coquettishly.

Liz smirked and stood up, peeling her shorts and underwear off, letting them hit the floor. She was now completely naked except for the pair of crimson high top Converse that Hellboy had given her for her 18th birthday. Hellboy stood as straight as his 6'7" frame would allow in the cramped quarters of the van, and crouched down on the floor, and as soon as Liz's bare ass hit the seat, Hellboy had slipped his tongue into her warm, wet slit. Liz was right – she _was _soaked. Hellboy lapped hungrily, overwhelmed with excitement as he dragged his tongue over her folds until he came up to her little clit.

Liz leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes and rubbing her nipples with a look of ecstasy on her face. Hellboy stared up at her as he licked, feeling inebriated at the sight of this gorgeous girl receiving pleasure, and at the knowledge that he was the one giving it to her.

Hellboy wandered away from the clit and prodded at her vaginal opening, stiffening the tip of his tongue as he did so. Liz let out a moan, which encouraged him to pump his tongue in and out of her opening in a rhythmic fashion until she was almost screaming.

Liz opened her eyes and looked down at him. "Play with yourself."

Hellboy happily obeyed and began pumping his cock with his flesh left hand, never taking his tongue away from her pussy or his eyes off of her. Liz let out an excited moan, even though she couldn't see him tugging on his cock, given the limited lighting and cramped quarters, but she could feel his arm jerking and see his shoulder straining.

"Suck on my clit," Liz said breathlessly. "Like you did before."

Again, Hellboy obliged, dragging his tongue up from her opening to her small bundle of nerves. He closed his lips around it and started gently sucking, rotating his tongue around it occasionally, careful to keep a steady, gentle rhythm, but mainly keeping his tongue right beneath her clit.

"You do that so fucking well," Liz said through her tightening jaw, pinching her nipples gently and beginning to tremble. "Ohmygod… I'm gonna cum…"

Hellboy picked up the pace ever so slightly, careful to keep the formula basically the same, but more intense. He felt her hips rock back and forth, and felt her muscles clench, sensing her approaching orgasm.

Liz let out a strangled cry, and Hellboy was pleasantly surprised when she wrapped her legs around his head, holding him in place as she climaxed. He felt those arousing muscle contractions coming from deep within her vagina, causing him to excitedly pump his cock until he felt himself nearing climax. The muscle contractions died down after a few seconds and, panting heavily, Liz set her feet back on the floor of the van with a thump, like she didn't have very good muscle control suddenly.

Not wanting to make a mess of catastrophic proportions, Hellboy whipped the van door open and jumped outside just as he began ejaculating. He pumped, letting his ejaculate carefully land on the forest floor. As his orgasm faded away, he became aware that he was getting drenched in the rain and went back into the van, sliding the door shut behind him. He sat back down on the back seat and zipped his pants up.

Looking over at Liz, he chuckled. She was still slumped back and naked, save for her Converse, and appearing as if she were stoned.

"You gonna make it?" He asked teasingly.

"Red," She said tiredly, not even having enough energy to turn her head to look at him. "I feel like you're lying about never having done anything with a girl… I really do."

"I'm not," He said, laughing.

"I don't understand how you're so good at eating pussy," She said. "I thought the first time might have just been beginner's luck, but I came even harder than last time…"

Hellboy shrugged. "I've watched a lot of porn. Maybe I'm subconsciously mimicking the videos."

"Well, unless I tell you otherwise," Liz said, sitting forward and gathering her clothing. "You can eat me out any time."

Hellboy watched as she stood and put her clothing back on, entranced by her body as she bent over to step into her shorts and underwear. He felt his cock starting to harden again and quietly grunted to himself. Liz turned to look at him, her shorts almost pulled up over her ass and underwear. She was still topless.

"What?" She asked, frozen in place.

"Nothing," Hellboy said discontentedly, ripping his eyes away from her half-naked form.

Liz studied him for a minute, pulling her shorts up, but making no move to put her top on. She saw there was a small bulge in the groin of his pants and pressed her lips in a thin line.

"You're… horny again?" She asked.

Hellboy sighed. "Yeah."

"Well… you definitely weren't exaggerating when you said you have a high sex drive," Liz said, slipping her bra and top back on. "Mine's high, but I've never seen anything like what you got going on."

"I'm sorry," Hellboy said, leaning back. "I hate it. I don't expect you to keep up with me in any way."

"Don't apologize," Liz said, sitting next to him. "It's part of who you are. I'm not gonna be like Trevor and suppress you."

Although the horniness was still there, Hellboy's would-be erection died down the rest of the way after a few moments and he relaxed a little.

"I don't want you to think Trevor's a bad guy or anything," Hellboy said. "I owe him a lot, and he's great. Aside from this one thing, anyway."

"It's a big deal, Red," Liz said. "I'm surprised you're not messed up in the head. This kind of thing destroys people."

"I think if he had always treated me differently, it wouldn't have been such a harsh blow," Hellboy said. "But… he acted like I was normal up to that point. He never let me see myself as anything but normal. Then, in the middle of one of the most confusing times of my life, I get even more confused because he suddenly starts pointing out my differences."

Liz nodded, but her head bobbed slightly and her eyes looked heavy. Hellboy watched as she struggled to keep them open and smirked, placing his left hand on top of her head, stroking her hair.

"You tired, sweetie?" He asked quietly. The word 'sweetie' felt foreign on his lips. He wondered if he had ever once said it before in his life.

Liz nodded again. "I think you're draining a little bit of my life force each time you eat me out."

Hellboy laughed and tickled at her belly with the fingertips of his left hand. "You like it."

"I don't like it," Liz said groggily. "I fucking love it. If I weren't so tired, I'd probably ask you to do it again."

"Don't tempt me," Hellboy said, only half-joking. He laid his head on her shoulder, closing his yellow eyes as he felt a sense of contentment wash over him.

"Can you get me some coffee out of the thermos?" Liz asked. "It's my only hope of making it through the rest of the night."

"Get some sleep, dear," Hellboy said, getting up and leaning over the back seat, retrieving a pillow and blanket. "I can keep watch."

"You're sure?" Liz asked, sleepiness evident in her voice.

Hellboy laid the pillow down on the seat and coaxed her into a laying position.

"Positive," He said, spreading the blanket over her.

Hellboy slid down on the floor near her feet and started unlacing her Converse. He carefully removed them and sat them down on the van floor. He took her foot between his hands and began rubbing through her black cotton sock. Liz let out a contented sigh.

"Aw, Red, you don't have to," Liz said, sounding half asleep already.

Before he knew it, Liz was lightly snoring. He held her foot for a few moments, staring at her face all the while. He silently admired her, how beautiful she was, how peaceful she looked in her sleep. He wished that the seat was big enough for both of them to lay on, and that they weren't on assignment. He wished that, instead, they were miles away, in a fancy hotel room with a bed that was just big enough for both of them so that they had no choice but to cuddle closely under the covers after they got done having earth-shattering, mind-blowing sex.

He carefully sat her foot down and crawled up into the front of the van to sit in the driver's seat. He turned off the flashlight that was sitting in the cup holder and poured himself some coffee out of the thermos.

He leaned back and looked up at the sky through the windshield, resting the cup on his tummy. The sky had cleared in patches, revealing the moon and some stars, but clouds still loomed above and brought a light shower of rain.

A sense of dread washed over him. He started pondering how Trevor would react when – not if – he found out about him and Liz. There was a slim possibility that Trevor had changed his opinion over the years about Hellboy becoming intimate with women, but he doubted it. It was almost enough to make Hellboy want to march into the Bureau tomorrow and lay it all out for his adoptive father – that him and Liz were dating, they were in love, and they had been intimate and would continue to date and be in love and be intimate – oh, _god_, would they continue to be intimate - and there was nothing he could say or do to stop them.

Hellboy sighed silently and took a sip of his coffee. He decided there was no sense in getting riled up over something that hadn't happened yet, and possibly might not even happen at all. Maybe Trevor would be supportive or, at the very least, tolerant of the relationship.

The question now was whether or not he should bring it up to Trevor, or just let nature takes its course. Hellboy felt that the question could easily be rephrased to: do I want us to argue now or later?

He spent the rest of the night sipping coffee and listening to the rain while Liz slept soundly.


	25. Confrontations

Hellboy heard Liz begin to stir awake in the back seat just as the faintest rays of sunlight began to make an appearance. He heard her yawn, sit up and scratch her scalp.

"Holy cow," Liz said. "Have you been awake this whole time?"

Hellboy nodded as she crawled up into the passenger seat beside him. He held out the thermos to her.

"Saved you some coffee," He said.

Liz took the thermos and drank straight out of it. She looked out the window with weary eyes, scanning the immediate area.

"Any sign of your bobcat?" She asked.

"Nope," Hellboy said, stretching as best he could in the cramped space of the van.

"So, it's a bust?" Liz asked, the smallest hint of disappointment in her voice.

"Kind of yes, kind of no," Hellboy said. "I'll pass the case down, and that team will take it from there."

"Hmm…" Liz said, pursing her lips off to the side. "Well, that sucks."

"It happens," Hellboy said. "There will be plenty of other cases."

"Yeah…" Liz said. "I can't believe I slept through half of it."

"I'll just have to be sure not to eat you out on the next mission," Hellboy laughed. "Maybe you'll be able to stay awake."

"It feels so good, though," Liz defended, swirling the thermos around. "God… I'm not even trying to stroke your ego, either. If you were bad at it, I'd tell you, but… holy shit, Red." She inhaled sharply and smiled. "Okay, I need to stop talking about it or I'm gonna be begging you to do it again."

"Not sure how I feel about doing it outside when the sun's up," Hellboy said. "But if you wait until we get back to the Bureau, I'd be happy to oblige."

Liz's lips broke out into a devilish grin and her cheeks flushed. "At least let me get a shower first."

"I can't make any promises," Hellboy said coquettishly.

Liz's blush deepened and she let out a laugh, tucking some hair behind her ear.

"So…" Hellboy said, starting the van up. "We heading back to the Bureau or stopping off somewhere to get breakfast?"

"I'm starving," Liz said.

"Breakfast it is," Hellboy said, guiding the van out of the woods.

A short while later, they were pulling up to Smith' Café. When Hellboy killed the ignition, Liz stopped him before he got out of the van.

"So…" She started, voice a few octaves higher than normal. "Would it be bold of me to assume that this is a date?"

Hellboy smiled and laughed like an idiot. "Do you _want _it to be a date?"

"Maybe," Liz said.

"Okay, then," Hellboy said giddily, opening his door. "Stay right there."

Liz obeyed and watched as Hellboy closed his door and walked around the van to the passenger side door. He opened her door and held his left hand out for her to take. She took his hand and he helped her step down onto the street. Hellboy closed her door and they walked arm in arm up to the door of Smith's Café where Hellboy unhooked his arm from hers to hold the door open for her. Liz smirked at him as she walked by.

"Guys!" Rachel called from behind the counter, waving to them both. "Wondered when you'd pop in and visit."

"Hey, Rachel," Liz greeted as she walked up to the counter.

Hellboy walked up to join them. He stood behind Liz and locked eyes with Rachel. Rachel gave him a subtle, questioning eyebrow raise, to which he gave a subtle, affirmative nod. Rachel's lips broke out into a smile as she absorbed the news.

"Glad to have you two back," Rachel said. "Did you guys just drop in to say hi, or are you staying a while?"

"Definitely staying a while," Liz said, rubbing her belly.

"Alright," Rachel said, leading them to a table and pulling out her order pad. "What can I get you?"

Hellboy pulled out a chair for Liz, and she sat down, grabbing a menu. Hellboy sat down across from her and laughed.

"You seriously need to look at the menu?" Hellboy teased. "We've been here a billion times."

"It's been a while," Liz said, gently kicking him in the shin under the table. "I've been away for a long time, dude. The menu could have changed."

"True," Hellboy said. "But we all know you're gonna order the same thing you always order. Save Rachel some time."

"Shut it," Liz hissed, looking at the menu. "I think… I'll have… the breakfast croissant and a large black coffee."

"You're just ordering something different because I said something," Hellboy laughed.

"Maybe," Liz said, shrugging and folding her menu, handing it to Rachel. "What kind of pancakes are you getting?"

"Pumpkin spice," Hellboy said, not so much as glancing at the menu. "And a large coconut iced coffee with eight shots of espresso."

Liz shook her head. "You're so weird."

Hellboy, with extreme caution, kicked her in the shin with his hoof beneath the table.

"I'll go get your food started for you guys," Rachel said, turning back toward the kitchen.

"So, what'cha wanna do after this?" Hellboy asked.

"I'm still pretty tired," Liz said. "I would say let's go back to the Bureau and sleep, but something tells me you're not going to be able to sleep with eight shots of espresso coursing through your veins."

Hellboy had to stop himself from saying what he wanted to say. He was going to playfully tell Liz that she'd have to find a way to wear him out, but he backed off of it quickly. He heard his father in the back of his mind telling him that he shouldn't even be getting involved with women, that he made them uncomfortable, that he was threatening.

He must have paused a little too long in his reply, because Liz started to look concerned. Hellboy managed to recover, forcing a smile.

"Nah, I'll manage," Hellboy said. "I don't feel like any amount of caffeine could keep me awake at this point."

Rachel came back, plates expertly balanced on her arms, drinks in her hands. She sat the drinks down in front of them, followed by the plates.

"Here you go, guys," Rachel said. "If you need anything else, just holler."

Rachel retreated back into the kitchen, and Hellboy wasted no time drenching his pancakes in syrup and digging in.

"Jeez," Liz said, laughing. "Ya hog. At least you're eating with your mouth closed for a change. I can't be too mad."

Hellboy swallowed. "I could eat with my mouth open, if you want."

"Oh, god," Liz said. "No. Please, don't."

Hellboy smirked and went back to eating his pancakes, with his mouth mercifully closed, though he did get syrup on his chin and in his goatee. Liz lifted her croissant up to her mouth and took a small, dainty bite, unable to suppress a laugh as she watched Hellboy eat.

"I'm gonna have to take you home and throw you in the shower after this," Liz teased.

Hellboy, seemingly oblivious, reached up to his face with his flesh hand and felt around. Once he felt the stickiness of the syrup, he nodded.

"That's fair," Hellboy said, taking another bite of his pancakes.

"Take you home," Liz said in a hushed voice. "Strip you down, and get in the shower with you… to make sure you clean everything properly."

Hellboy smirked when he realized she was trying to talk dirty, and he was just too dense to catch on right away.

"That sounds like a good idea," Hellboy said, rather clumsily, unsure of the appropriate response.

Liz laughed. "'That sounds like a good idea?' How erotic. You have such a way with words."

Hellboy shrugged, swallowing a bite of his pancakes. "I'm new to this. I'm not all up to speed on the dirty talk. Bear with me."

Beneath the table, Liz started to play footsie, and after a few moments, Hellboy took the bait and began playing back. Before too long, they were both quietly laughing like school children, playing tag with one another's feet – or, in Hellboy's case, hooves.

They both calmed down after a few moments long enough to continue eating, but Hellboy couldn't help but feel a pair of eyes staring at him. He glanced up and saw a woman, perhaps in her early to mid-thirties, sitting at a table halfway across the café, staring with disgust in Hellboy's direction, leaning over a large bowl of what appeared to be filled with soup of some kind. Hellboy turned his attention away from her and looked back down at his plate of half-eaten pancakes. He took a bite, but still felt her gaze. When he looked back over to her, sure enough, she was still staring with the same look on her face.

Hellboy looked back down and sighed, so quietly that he was surprised Liz even heard him.

"What's wrong?" Liz asked him, looking in the direction he had been looking.

"Don't worry about it," Hellboy said quietly.

"Is it that lady?" Liz asked, eyes locked in the woman's direction. "She's staring daggers at you for some reason."

"Just… don't worry about it," He muttered. "Quit looking at her."

Liz didn't stop looking at her. Instead, she smiled and waved.

"Liz, stop it," Hellboy said, propping his elbow on the table and burying half of his face in his left hand. "Just ignore her. You're gonna make it worse."

"Make _what _worse?" Liz questioned, still looking at the woman.

"Could you finish eating so we can go, please?" He practically pleaded.

"She's coming over," Liz said.

"Oh, god," Hellboy said. "Let's leave. I'm not in the mood for this."

"Mood for what?" Liz asked.

Hellboy heard the woman's approach and felt her standing over him. He looked up at her from the table, already sensing what was about to be said.

"I know who you are," The woman said curtly. "I thank you for what you do, but you'd do well in leaving human women alone. Especially young ones like this, who probably don't know any better."

Hellboy stared at her blankly, despite the sinking feeling in his chest. He felt as though he had just been smacked in the face with a cinderblock. He hadn't felt anything quite like it before, and almost felt as if he were having an out-of-body experience, like he was watching this all unfold on a television screen. He believed Liz's visiting therapist had called this phenomenon 'dissociating.'

Liz's mouth dropped open as she stared at the woman, and a sharp laugh escaped.

"Lady," Liz said. "I _do _know better. Now, if you'll get back to your table before your soup gets cold, I'd really appreciate it."

"You oughtn't be getting involved with him, girl," The lady warned. "No good will come of it. Your soul might be stained, but it's not too late. End this and repent now. It might save you from an eternity of burning."

Liz smirked and stood up from her seat. She extended her arms to the woman, almost as if she were going to go in for a hug, but her arms began flickering with flame until they were completely engulfed.

"You're a little late on that one," Liz said simply.

The woman recoiled and let out a shriek, racing for the exit. The flames on Liz's arms died out as quickly as they came. All of the employees of the café came rushing – from behind the counter and the kitchen in the back, and an employee that was outside smoking even turned to look through the large, storefront window, cigarette hanging from his lips - to investigate what the screeching was about, and none of them seemed to have noticed that Liz's arms had been on fire just seconds ago.

"What's wrong?" Rachel asked. "What happened? Are you guys okay?"

"Oh, yeah," Liz said dryly. "We're great."

Hellboy dug around in his pocket and threw some money on the table – enough to cover the bill and the tip – and stormed toward the exit. Rachel almost called after him, but thought better of it.

"Is he okay?" Rachel asked Liz.

"He will be," Liz assured, taking off after him.

Liz saw Hellboy sitting in the driver seat, expression unreadable. Although she knew he wouldn't lash out at her, she still approached with caution, carefully opening the passenger side door and slowly climbing in, shutting the door behind her as quietly as possible. She let a few moments of silence pass by before she began speaking.

"I'm sorry," Liz said.

"You have nothing to apologize for," Hellboy said.

"How did you know that lady was going to say that?" Liz asked. "You seemed like you just… knew."

Hellboy sighed, resting the side of his face against the window.

"Wait…" Liz said. "Has this happened before?"

Hellboy didn't respond. He simply pressed his lips into a thin line and shut his eyes.

"With Amanda?" Liz asked.

Hellboy nodded and opened his eyes.

"Twice, actually," He said.

Liz wasn't quite sure what to say. She wasn't sure if there was anything that even _should _be said. Just as she attempted to think of something, Hellboy spoke.

"She's probably right," Hellboy said.

"What?" Liz asked, taken off guard.

"Maybe you shouldn't be involved with me," Hellboy said. "This was probably a really bad idea."

"Red," Liz said. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Maybe you should," Hellboy said. "If this crap is already happening, I hate to see what will happen months or years from now."

"Hellboy," Liz said sternly. "It's fine. You should know I can handle myself."

"You shouldn't have to be on guard," Hellboy said. "A relationship should make your life easier. You shouldn't have to look over your shoulder or be prepared to defend yourself just because you're dating someone."

"Hellboy…" Liz said. "Come on. It doesn't bother me."

"Maybe it should," Hellboy said. "I'm keeping you from having a normal life. It was selfish of me to even attempt a relationship with you."

"Oh, like my life would be normal otherwise?" Liz asked. "You're probably the most normal thing in my life right now. You're one of the most normal people I've ever met."

"Try telling that to literally everyone else on the planet," Hellboy muttered.

"I will," Liz said. "I will tell them. I'll scream it in their fucking faces if I have to. Fuck 'em, Red. They don't matter. If they're too narrow-minded to see that you're one of the good guys, then fuck 'em."

Hellboy took his face away from the window and sat up straight, sighing.

"I just think-" Hellboy started.

He was caught off guard by Liz reaching over and grabbing both sides of his face, her fingers becoming laced into his sideburns, pressing her mouth against his in a firm kiss. When Liz took her mouth away – Liz had to be the one to break the kiss, because Hellboy wouldn't have ended it for anything - Hellboy felt short of breath.

"Was that our first kiss?" Hellboy asked, seeming almost confused.

"I think so," Liz said.

Hellboy chuckled, his mood shifting toward the positive just slightly. "I feel like we're doing everything out of order."

Liz shrugged. "Doesn't bother me none."

The ghost of a smile spread across Hellboy's face. The tip of his tail swished slightly.

"Me either," Hellboy said.


	26. Decisions, Decisions

Upon arriving back at the Bureau, Hellboy took Liz to the back offices so that he could walk her through the process of turning over a case. Unfortunately, this meant that they had to walk right past Faith, who wasn't shy about staring. Liz seemed unbothered by it, but Hellboy couldn't help but quicken his pace as they went by.

They ducked into a room that was filled with filing cabinets. Hellboy pulled open a cabinet that squeaked horribly and began sifting through the folders until he found the paper he was looking for, pulling it out and grabbing a pen off of a nearby desk. He sat down and pulled out the chair next to him. Liz sat down and observed the paper with laser-like focus.

"This is all pretty straightforward," Hellboy started, pointing with the tip of the pen. "You fill out a brief report and state why you're turning the case over. Some people turn cases over because they don't feel like they're equipped to handle it for whatever reason, some lose interest or get burnt out. In our case, we didn't see any evidence supporting paranormal activity, so the best course of action is to encourage them to hand the case back over to local law enforcement."

Hellboy could hear approaching footsteps and tensed. He couldn't tell for sure because of the carpeting, but they sounded an awful lot like high heels. He heard someone enter the room, but kept his head carefully down, eyes fixed on the paper before him. He heard someone rifling around in a filing cabinet directly in front of him and accidentally glanced up.

When he looked up, he saw that Faith was rummaging through the lowest drawer possible so that her ass was above her head. She had her legs spread rather far apart. The material of her skirt conformed perfectly to each cheek, providing a fairly clear outline. If she decided to reach down further just slightly, say, to grab her ankles, the bottom of her perfect ass would have been on display.

Hellboy's yellow eyes flared as he took in the sight and whipped his head back towards the paper so quick that it was a wonder that his neck didn't break. Hellboy scribbled a few things and slid the paper back over to Liz, trying to act like he didn't even notice that Faith had come in the room.

"Since you're officially on the roster," Hellboy went on. "I'm going to need you to sign it."

He heard Faith stop rummaging and turn around to face them, and he did his best to ignore her, vainly hoping that she'd go away.

"So, it's true, then?" Faith asked. "You're actually a field agent? I thought you were too young for that yet."

Liz looked up at Faith, acknowledging her presence for the first time.

"Nope," She said dryly. "I'm eighteen."

"What an exciting time for a girl," Faith said, the faintest note of tension in her voice.

"If only you knew," Liz said cryptically.

Liz signed the paper and Hellboy scooped it up. He stood and began heading for the exit with Liz following behind when Faith piped up.

"Hellboy?" Faith asked. "Are you free this evening?"

"Nope," He said as he walked out the door, not stopping even for a second.

Liz had her mouth open in a silent laugh as they walked down the hall.

"You fucking shut her down," Liz whispered, laughing under her breath.

"Not the first time, and probably not the last," Hellboy muttered. "She doesn't take a hint."

"Yeah, I noticed that," Liz said.

They arrived at Tom Manning's office, hearing him mumble into the phone. The door was open, so they quietly walked in. Hellboy placed the paper on his desk as Tom prattled on about something or other to whatever poor soul was stuck on the other end of the phone, and Tom gave him an unenthusiastic thumbs up, which roughly translated to 'okay, thanks, fuck off now.'

Hellboy led the way back out into the hallway, and they began heading back to his apartment.

"And that's all there is," Hellboy said. "Simple. And very boring."

"Something tells me that's the most paperwork you've done in a long time," Liz said.

"Very astute of you," Hellboy said.

They reached Hellboy's apartment door, which he unlocked and held open for Liz. Once they were both inside, Hellboy shut and locked the door. He immediately began gathering some clean clothing when Liz stopped him.

"You aren't going to be needing those," Liz said teasingly.

Hellboy turned to look over his shoulder and saw that she had begun to disrobe, starting with her shirt and followed by her bra. She began walking towards the bathroom, leaving clothing in her wake like a trail of breadcrumbs. She disappeared into the bathroom in nothing but her shorts and shoes. Hellboy grew rigid at the sight, and he didn't realize that he had started to follow behind her until he saw her bent over the Jacuzzi, shoes and shorts still on, running the bathwater and filling it up with lavender-scented bubble bath.

Although the temptation to rip Liz's clothes off was very real, Hellboy stopped himself and settled for simply standing in the doorway, admiring her form. He watched as she sat on the edge of the Jacuzzi and took her shoes off. He became vaguely aware that his mouth was hanging open slightly as she stood to take off her shorts and panties. She was standing before him without a shred of clothing on, causing Hellboy to become both awestruck and rock-hard.

"I'm completely naked, and you don't even have your shirt off yet?" Liz asked. "That hardly seems fair."

Hellboy came back to reality and took her hint, pulling his shirt off, revealing the intimidating muscle that framed his upper body.

"Good start," Liz urged. "Keep going."

Hellboy smirked as he pulled his shorts and boxers off, his massive erection hanging freely. Whenever Liz saw his cock – hell, if she even _thought _about his cock – a strange feeling came over her. A mix of excitement and fear. It filled her with a sort of exhilaration that she couldn't easily describe.

"Much better," Liz said, stepping into the Jacuzzi as it was still filling up. She lowered herself into the water and foam until all that was visible was her neck and head. "Now get in here."

Hellboy obeyed, carefully stepping in, feeling his muscles relax in the nearly-scalding bath. Liz reached over and turned off the water once she saw how much water Hellboy's massive body displaced and scooted over to him through the bubbles. Hellboy sat down on one of the Jacuzzi seats and Liz sat in his lap, back against his hard, crimson chest, allowing his cock to poke out from between her thighs. Given the length of Hellboy's manhood, and the elevation they were at, a good few inches broke through the surface of the water.

Liz reached down and began to gently stroke his enormous cock with both hands, eliciting a moan from the half-demon. He reclined back, his head hanging over the edge of the Jacuzzi, but Liz remained sitting upright, focused intently on stroking his cock. Hellboy closed his eyes, his breaths coming in ragged and shallow.

"You okay back there?" Liz asked, still pumping away.

"Better than okay," Hellboy managed to say. "But if you don't stop, our bath is going to be cut short…"

"All right," Liz said, giving an exaggerated pout. "Just let me give him a goodbye kiss."

Liz gripped the shaft of his cock in one hand to hold it still and leaned down, pressing her lips to the head of his penis. The sensation on the most sensitive part of his cock caused it to twitch slightly, making Liz laugh excitedly. Without warning, she parted her lips and wrapped them around the tip, her tongue swishing around enthusiastically and sucking vigorously. Hellboy felt himself on the verge of release.

"Okay," Hellboy said, squirming around slightly. "Kissing time's over, unless you want to have to refill the Jacuzzi…"

But Liz didn't stop sucking. On the contrary, she picked up the pace and grabbed Hellboy's left hand, guiding it to her left breast. She took her hand away from his and reached down beneath the water to fondle his large testicles. Hellboy felt the urge to take her off of his lap, but found himself unable to bring himself to do anything that would stop the sensations he was feeling. He gently fondled her small, perky breast as she skillfully sucked his cock.

He took his hand away from her breast as he felt himself beginning to climax, knowing that his muscles always became extremely tense during orgasm. There had been times in the past when he was holding on to something with his free hand while masturbating – like a bedpost or the edge of a table – and he ended up absolutely destroying whatever was in his hand at the time. He definitely didn't want to do anything like that to Liz.

With a loud moan, Hellboy came in Liz's mouth in mighty, copious spurts. He felt Liz swallowing with each spurt, but he could tell she was having a hard time keeping up with all of it. Just as Hellboy's orgasm settled down, Liz took her mouth away, gasping for air. She got off of his lap and sat down on the Jacuzzi seat opposite him, cheeks flushed and panting.

"I can't get over how much cum you make," Liz said breathlessly. "It's unreal."

"You didn't have to swallow it," Hellboy said, sounding drunk as he recovered from his orgasm.

"It doesn't turn you on?" Liz asked.

"No, no, it definitely does," Hellboy said. "I just feel bad. If I made the normal amount, it wouldn't bother me so much, but…"

"Well, I want to turn you on," Liz said. "So, I guess I'll just have to get some practice in."

Hellboy felt himself becoming aroused all over again at the thought, and what hardness his cock had lost in the orgasm returned within seconds, rising up out of the water once more.

"God," Liz laughed. "You're ready for me to start practicing already?"

"Don't worry about me," Hellboy said. "I already had mine. Let's work on you."

Hellboy started to get off his seat and close the small distance between them, but Liz stopped him by holding up a suds-covered hand.

"I can keep up," Liz said, sounding almost offended.

"You can't," Hellboy said simply. "And I'm totally fine with that."

"Try me," Liz said.

"Liz," Hellboy said. "You look exhausted just from giving me oral. There's only so many things we can really do, given the… size differences. Then there's even less we can do with the stamina differences. I could literally go all day. You, I'm not so sure."

Liz stood, water and suds running down her glorious body back down into the Jacuzzi water, causing Hellboy's manhood to stiffen the rest of the way. She got down on her knees in front of him and wrapped her lips around the tip, causing Hellboy to lean his head back in ecstasy despite himself. Liz seductively ran her tongue across his frenulum, sliding it up and down as her head bobbed in nearly-perfect synchronization.

Hellboy wanted to tell her to stop. He could tell she was getting tired, but she was the one that had insisted she could keep up, despite him telling her multiple times that it wasn't possible. Hellboy had guessed correctly: Liz had taken his unlimited libido as a challenge. She was determined to show him that she could keep up with his desires. While he felt horrible for allowing her to continue, it had been her decision in the end. Though he felt like a bit of an opportunist, he couldn't deny that he was enjoying the sensation. He decided to allow her to continue until he sensed that she was pushing herself too much, certain that he'd have to be the one to make the call for her.

Liz gripped Hellboy's shaft between her hands, jerking and stroking as her lips and tongue worked the head. Liz felt little tingles of excitement shoot through her body with every moan that escaped Hellboy's lips and throat. She looked up at him, even though it was impossible to see his face since his head was cocked back. She so desperately wanted to see the pleasure painted on his features as she sucked, knowing that it would make her jolts of excitement greater.

Just as she was about to look away, Hellboy propped his head back up and looked down at Liz, making direct eye contact. Over the years, Liz had seen Hellboy drunk several dozen times, which was the best way to describe the expression on his face; the look in his eyes: drunk. Drunk with ecstasy.

The eye contact, mixed with the sensation of her warm, wet mouth around his glans, sent a chill up Hellboy's spine, making him feel excited in the most delightful way. His yellow eyes remained locked on her amber eyes, neither blinking until Hellboy felt himself beginning to climax. He snapped his eyes shut and began to throw his head back when Liz reached a hand up, cupping the back of his head in an attempt to keep his face viewable to her. At first, Hellboy didn't understand what she was doing and carefully pushed the back of his head against her hand, then remained as still as possible when realization dawned on him.

Sucking as hard as she could, stroking his shaft with her free hand, Liz studied his face as he came in her mouth. It was lovely to witness. He wore an almost-constant look of anger, regardless of his mood. It was just how his face was built – deep shadows beneath his prominent brow ridge, his mouth drawn back in a permanent scowl. But when he climaxed – oh_, lord_. He looked so calm and peaceful, like he didn't have a care in the world.

Although Hellboy made about the same amount of cum as he had previously, Liz found it easier to swallow this time around. As she swallowed the last bit, she pulled her mouth away and sat on the edge of the Jacuzzi, exposing most of her body.

"Fuck me," She pleaded almost breathlessly, spreading her legs and exposing her cute little cunt.

Recovering from his orgasm, looking over at Liz with glazed-over eyes, he hesitated as he absorbed what she said.

"We can't," Hellboy said, sounding almost as drunk as he appeared.

"I want it," Liz said. "I'm ready."

"I should just eat you out," Hellboy said. "It'll be better-"

"I want you to fuck me," Liz said.

Hellboy felt so overwhelmed with excitement at the prospect that he almost lost his head and started in on her, but he restrained himself.

"Are you sure you're ready?" Hellboy asked slowly, controlled, keeping a tight leash on himself for Liz's sake.

Liz nodded, cheeks flushed.

"Okay…" Hellboy said. "But… you should be on top. So you can control the pace and how deep I go."

Liz nodded again, and stood without hesitation. She straddled his lap, facing him. She bent a knee and propped it up next to his ass, letting her other leg hang off the other side for leverage. Liz realized after a few moments that the position wouldn't work, given the length of his cock. Hellboy picked her up and got out of the Jacuzzi, some water pooling on the floor beneath them. Hellboy carefully lowered her to the floor and handed her a clean towel, which she quickly dried off with. Hellboy dried himself off with his own towel. As soon as Liz was done and had dropped her towel on the floor, Hellboy scooped her back up and took her into his bedroom.

He carefully sat her down on the edge of his bed and laid back, allowing her to take the reins. She did so with gusto, straddling his waist. She positioned herself over him, lining up her entrance with the head of his dick. He could feel her warm, wet slickness, and it took every ounce of self-control to refrain from ramming his cock into her.

Slowly, very slowly, Liz lowered herself down on his cock. Hellboy's eyes flared open as he felt the sensation of her incredibly tight, warm hole. Liz had probably only managed to fit the first few inches in when her face contorted from one of concentration to one of pain. She gasped and winced, and Hellboy would have pushed her off of him or attempted to pull himself out if it wasn't such a sensitive area he was interacting with. He felt that abruptly removing his cock would have done more harm than good.

"Do you need me to slide you off?" He asked.

Her eyes were closed, face tight with pain. She made no indication that she had heard him. Hellboy felt terrible for feeling the amount of pleasure he was feeling while she was so clearly in pain. Normally, Liz showing signs of pain would make him go flaccid, but feeling the wonderful sensation of her vagina tightly pressed around the upper part of his cock was making him remain rock-hard and throbbing.

"Liz?" Hellboy gently asked, placing his hands very carefully on her hips.

"I think you're too thick," Liz hissed through a tight jaw, eyes still shut. "It almost feels like… I'm stuck…"

"I'm gonna try to pull out, okay?" Hellboy said.

"Okay," Liz nodded, eyes coming open slightly.

Hellboy carefully wrapped his hands around her waist and even more carefully attempted to raise her off of him, and stopped abruptly when she cried out in pain and snapped her eyes shut once more.

"Sorry," Hellboy apologized, taking his hands away from her.

Feeling like the worst person alive, Hellboy laid there, unable to look at Liz, knowing that he was inadvertently causing her pain while he was feeling nothing but pleasure – and a great deal, at that. He had no idea how wonderful a vagina truly felt and suddenly felt as though he had been missing out all these years. He just wished he had a normal-sized cock so that the experience would be pleasurable for Liz as well. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him.

"Liz," Hellboy said. "Can you lean down against my chest? I have an idea."

With a long, slow breath, Liz opened her eyes and slowly lowered herself against his torso. Hellboy propped his left arm behind the length of her back and held her in place against him. He slowly got out of his bed and stood with her still impaled on the first 3 inches of his cock, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders for additional support. He put his face in the crook of her neck.

"Just relax, darlin'," He whispered lovingly, pressing his lips to her neck and beginning to suck.

Liz began moaning almost instantly, her nipples becoming stiff against his collarbone. Although she was in pain from her vagina being stretched almost to its limit, she couldn't stop herself from deriving pleasure from her neck being sucked on. Hellboy was glad that he could give her at least a tiny amount of pleasure through the pain.

Hellboy could feel Liz growing slightly wet from him sucking on her neck, but his cock still seemed stuck inside her despite the lubrication. He pulled his mouth away from her neck.

"Liz," Hellboy said gently, holding her securely against him. "I think the only way I'll be able to take it out without hurting you is if I… get off. It's too hard, and… well, there's no way it will go down on its own."

"Okay," Liz said, looking and sounding pained. "Do what you gotta do."

Hellboy carefully replaced his left arm, which had been supporting her back, with his right arm, being extremely mindful of his stone hand. Feeling incredibly awkward, he began stroking the 8 inches of cock that Liz couldn't manage to fit inside of her, taking care not to jostle her around in the process. It felt great, but Hellboy didn't feel like he would be able to get anywhere, given the odd situation he found himself in. If Liz weren't in pain, it would have been much easier for him to climax.

Liz suddenly lowered her head and found her way into the crook of his neck, biting down and sucking. Hellboy moaned involuntarily, closing his eyes in an attempt to both relish in the sensations he was feeling, and to also try to forget what was actually happening; forget that Liz was in pain.

Suddenly, he was overcome with the most intense orgasm he had ever felt in his life. He threw his head back and groaned deeply, feeling his knees go weak. He saw little blobs of light dance around his vision, as if he had just received a blow to the back of the head. He felt himself explode inside of Liz and managed to move over to the bed. Still standing and still inside of her, he laid her flat on her back with her lower half hanging off the edge. He felt his erection decrease ever so slightly and experimentally tried to pull himself out. After a few careful pulls, he was freed from that glorious prison that was Liz's womanhood.

Hellboy laid down next to her, tenderly rubbing her forehead with his left hand. She was panting and lying very still, staring up at the ceiling.

"Liz? Baby?" Hellboy whispered as he caressed her forehead. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," She said tiredly. "It's just… really sore."

"I'm sorry," Hellboy said. "I knew it was a bad idea. Let me check you out, okay?"

Liz nodded and Hellboy slipped off the bed. He leaned down to look between her legs and cringed.

"You're bleeding, Liz," He said. "Should I get you to a doctor?"

"No," She said. "I almost always bleed. How much is there?"

"Not much," He said. "Just a little."

"It's nothing to worry about," She said casually. "I should have warned you that I usually bleed even if the guy is small or average. The soreness, though… I'm not used to that."

Hellboy stood up and looked down at her. He felt horrible, having almost ripped her. Feeling a sense of self-hatred creeping up on him, he grabbed a pair of boxers and slipped them on. He walked into the bathroom and drained the Jacuzzi. After it was drained, he began refilling it, emptying a large amount of lavender bubble bath beneath the spout, creating suds.

He walked back into the bedroom, where Liz had taken to sitting up in the bed. He gently scooped her up and walked into the bathroom, sitting her in the Jacuzzi as it filled up with hot water. Liz didn't protest, seemingly relieved to get back in.

Hellboy crouched to turn the water off when it got high enough. He grabbed a washcloth, got on his knees next to the Jacuzzi, dipped it down into the water and began soothingly rubbing Liz's back and shoulders with it. He began quietly reflecting on what had just occurred with a profound sense of dread. While he knew it was impossible for Liz to keep up with him completely, and it was totally fine with him, he couldn't help but feel saddened by the news that normal sexual intercourse was basically impossible for them to achieve.

He had experienced something that most normal people experience, but it only served to remind him how incredibly different he was. It was even more of a blow for him because it was with Liz – someone who never made him feel out of place. He knew it wasn't her fault in any way. She clearly wanted to allow him to experience sexual intercourse, and even hurt herself in the process. But it still made him feel incredibly isolated.

When he came up out of his thoughts, he realized Liz's body had gone rather slack and her head was bobbing back and forth slightly.

"You okay?" He practically whispered.

"Hm?" She asked, head snapping up suddenly. "I… I think I fell asleep for a second. Jeez…"

Hellboy smirked a little and reached his hand under the water, pulling the plug. He grabbed her towel from earlier and helped her out of the Jacuzzi, gently drying her off. She took over for the more intimate parts while Hellboy went to grab some clothes for her. He decided that it was probably best for her to not wear any bottoms, since she complained of the soreness between her legs. He grabbed his large, black terrycloth bathrobe and brought it to her just as she finished drying off, helping her slip it on. He tied it loosely around her waist, picked her up and carefully placed her on his bed. Just as he began pulling the comforter up over her, she spoke.

"I wanna watch a monster movie," She said.

Hellboy looked over at the television. It was a pretty good distance away from the bed. Too far to hear or see very well. But, given her current state, he didn't think it was a good idea for her to sleep on the beanbag chair, which was directly in front of the television, like they had done in the past. Carefully, he dragged the bed across the floor until it was only about 5 feet from the television set.

Hellboy began flipping through the channels when he settled on 'Them!', which was just beginning.

"I wanna cuddle, too," She said.

Hellboy smirked again and crawled under the covers with her. He laid flat on his back and she brought her head up onto his muscular chest. When he slipped his left arm beneath her and hooked his hand around her shoulder, she let out a contented sigh.

Liz was asleep within minutes. Hellboy was much too troubled for sleep.


	27. Wait It Out

**One Week Later…**

Hellboy wasn't sure if it was just him, but he felt a small amount of awkwardness whenever he was around Liz, and it was increasing by the day. Since the incident the previous week, when they got momentarily stuck together, they hadn't been sexual, or even really romantic. It almost felt like old times, back when they were just friends.

Hellboy didn't want to bring it up, because he felt like that might pressure Liz to be sexual or romantic when she didn't want to be, but it was eating him up inside. He felt almost sick over it. He understood that she could possibly still be sore and didn't want to get him aroused without intending to bring relief, but there had been nearly no physical contact between them.

She hadn't even kissed him since that day. She didn't even seem to want to let him see her naked – she usually closed the bathroom door when she was getting dressed and seemed to want to bathe alone. The only thing that was keeping Hellboy from questioning her was that she still shared a bed with him and cuddled every night.

But, other than that, there wasn't much to hold on to.

_Maybe she's doing things in reverse_, Hellboy had thought bitterly. _She eased into the relationship, now she's probably trying to ease back out of it because you scared her. You should have never agreed to have sex with her. That's probably what did it… stupid, stupid… _

Liz had left early that morning before Hellboy had woken up to run some drills and fill out more paperwork, which left him feeling terribly alone when he realized she wasn't there. He finally dragged himself out of bed with a quiet groan, got dressed and brewed some coffee. Normally, he would sit in front of his television set and watch something – anything, really – but he couldn't seem to bring himself to walk all the way back into his living room area, so he slumped down at his kitchen table instead, sitting his coffee mug down in front of him.

The mug Liz had made him.

He tiredly watched the vapor rise above his coffee, disappear and reappear again. He wasn't sure how long he had been sitting there until he heard his front door open, pulling him out of his daze. The only people that entered his room without knocking were Liz and Trevor. Either way, he didn't want his body language giving him away, so he did his best to straighten up his posture and not look so damn stressed.

"Hey," Liz said quietly from the kitchen doorway.

Hellboy looked over his shoulder, hoping the emotional turmoil he was in wasn't written on his face. Liz's cheeks looked flushed, and she was wearing an old t-shirt, running shoes and shorts. Her auburn hair was tied back in a ponytail. She had apparently just finished with her drills.

"Hey," He said back, even quieter than her. He turned back to his coffee, but still made no move to drink, or even touch the mug. His hands remained folded in his lap.

There was an awkward silence. Neither of them moved or made the slightest sound for several moments.

"Did you make enough coffee for me?" Liz asked, remaining carefully in the doorway, almost as if she didn't want to get closer.

"Yeah," Hellboy said. "There's about half a pot left…"

Liz slowly walked over to the coffee maker and dug out a mug from the cabinet. She poured herself some coffee and walked over to the table, sitting across from Hellboy. There was another long stretch of silence.

Liz took a long, slow breath, cupping her warm coffee mug between her hands.

"Can we talk?" She asked, looking across the table at him.

Hellboy felt his insides turn to ice.

_Here it comes_, He thought. _She's breaking up with you_…

"Sure," He said through the growing tightness in his throat.

Although the silence only lasted for a few brief seconds, Hellboy felt like it stretched on for minutes. Liz looked down at the table and bit her bottom lip.

"I'm sorry about this past week," She said, looking back up at him. "I've been acting really distant. I guess I'm just…"

"Are you breaking up with me?" Hellboy blurted out unintentionally.

"No," Liz said, looking alarmed. "I was hoping you wouldn't think that."

"It's kind of hard not to think it," Hellboy said. "Most of the signs are there."

"I know," Liz said, voice overflowing with empathy. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to come across that way. I just feel… inadequate, I guess."

"I told you to not feel that way," Hellboy said, shaking his head. "Nobody on this planet can keep up with me in bed. I doubt there's anyone who could even… you know… _take me_. And even if there was someone who could keep up with me and have intercourse with me, I wouldn't want them, because none of them are Elizabeth Sherman."

They both sat in silence. Liz was absorbing his words, and Hellboy was stunned at the ease in which the words came. He almost felt like they had come from someone else.

"I don't want you to feel inadequate," He went on. "I don't technically belong here. I'm the one that's out of place. I'm the one that's abnormal. I'm just gonna be honest – sex with you would be great, and I'd love it, but if it can't happen, it can't happen. I don't care. I just want to be with you, because I'm really, really in love with you, and I wasn't sure that was even possible, and this week has been fucking horrible because I thought you weren't in love with me because of what happened."

"If you don't want me to feel inadequate," Liz started. "You're not allowed to feel out of place or abnormal. I know you're not completely human, but that's beside the point. I don't want to hear you talking about yourself like that."

Hellboy nodded. "I've just really been hating myself lately."

Liz got up from the table and walked over to him, leaning down and pressing her lips to his, hard. She entangled her fingers in his sideburns, holding his face up to hers. Instinctually, Hellboy's hands came up to cup her hips as he kissed back, but he was careful to not let them travel anywhere else, despite his ever-hardening cock trying to make them go all over her body.

Liz took her mouth away, breathlessly. She looked down at him.

"Do you want to fool around?" She asked.

"Are you still sore?" He asked, looking up at her from his seat, almost as breathless as she was.

"No," She said. "It's been normal for a while."

"Do _you _want to fool around?" He asked.

Liz nodded, her cheeks growing a deeper shade of red than before.

"I'm following your lead, babe," He said.

Liz smirked and grabbed his large stone hand from her hip, wrapping her entire hand around the index finger. She led him into his bedroom and began disrobing herself. Hellboy was already at full hardness from kissing, and seeing her naked made him feel almost overwhelmed. Once fully naked, Liz realized Hellboy wasn't about to undress himself without her instructing him to do so, so she decided to slowly undress him herself, starting with his bottom half. It was a good thing, too. Whenever he got hard, unless he was wearing something baggy, like sweatpants, it was painful for him to wear any other type of pants.

Hellboy's erection hung freely as she unzipped his pants. She pulled his pants and boxers down until they were resting at his ankles, and he stepped out of them, pushing them off to the side with a hoof. Liz pulled his shirt up slowly, kissing his abs and pecs as she went. Hellboy was too tall for her to slide the shirt up over his head, so he did it for her, throwing it on top of his other discarded clothing.

Liz smiled shyly. "I should probably shower before we do anything. I'm kind of sweaty…"

"It doesn't bother me," Hellboy said.

"But… wouldn't it… taste bad?" She asked.

"I doubt it," Hellboy said. "Is… that what you want me to do?"

Liz laughed bashfully. "Well… I have missed it…"

Hellboy waited patiently, not wanting to pressure her one way or the other. Eventually, she sat down on his bed, letting her bottom half hang off the edge and lying back, legs spread. Hellboy smiled, kneeling down and carefully putting his face in between her thighs. It had a slightly different smell than before, but it wasn't unpleasant, so he experimentally stuck his tongue in between her lips. It tasted a little differently – a little saltier – but it wasn't unpleasant, so he continued licking. After a few moments, Liz was moaning.

"Holy _fuck_, have I missed this," She sighed.

While Hellboy was licking away beneath her clit, he looked up at her lithe, gorgeous body sprawled out on his bed, twitching with pleasure. She had taken to fondling her breasts, paying extra attention to the nipples. Although Hellboy was becoming aroused beyond measure, he kept his hands still, not even letting them wander to his own cock unless Liz told him to do so.

"Fuck, fuck, _fuck_," Liz hissed, mostly to herself.

Liz wrapped her legs around his shoulders, crossing her ankles at the base of his neck. Her hips began bucking ever so slightly back and forth and her breathing was coming in raggedly, which Hellboy took as good signs.

"Your mouth is so fucking good," Liz whispered.

Hellboy switched it up slightly, beginning to suck beneath her clit in between licking, finding a good rhythm and pace to counter her bucking, carefully reading her body language all the while to be sure he was making her feel good. After a minute or so of sticking to this routine, one of Liz's hands suddenly reached down to grab the back of Hellboy's head, pressing his mouth up against her pussy as he felt those wonderful muscle contractions begin. Her other hand busied itself by rubbing one of her nipples.

As her muscle contractions built up in intensity and frequency, she let out a scream and squeezed her legs together, trapping Hellboy's face between her thighs. Hellboy happily licked and sucked as he felt her cum, finding the entire process of the female orgasm both beautiful and erotic – nothing like the male orgasm.

As Liz's orgasm quieted down, her legs fell slack and she sat up. Hellboy remained kneeling by the bed. She looked down at him as if she were drunk.

"Goddamn," She said. "You're incredible."

"Thank you," Hellboy said, honestly feeling flattered.

"Is it your turn now?" Liz asked teasingly.

"Do you want it to be?" He asked.

"Well, you want to get off, don't you?" She asked.

"Yeah," Hellboy said. "But I could just as easily go in the bathroom and handle it myself."

"That wouldn't be fair," Liz said.

"Nobody said it has to be," Hellboy said. "I ain't keeping score."

"Well, I am," Liz said, getting down off the bed and patting where she had been laying. "Sit back and let me suck your cock."

"Yes, ma'am," Hellboy said excitedly, lying back on the bed, propping himself up on his elbows.

Liz leaned down from her standing position and grabbed Hellboy's cock as best she could with one hand. She guided it to her mouth and sucked on the tip, covering it in saliva instantly. She bobbed her head up and down, gliding with ease, flicking her tongue veraciously around the sensitive glans. Hellboy wanted to moan, but he was trying to be as silent and non-suggestive as possible. He wanted Liz to decide what she did on her own. After a while, much to Hellboy's dismay, Liz took her mouth away and looked up at him.

"You can be vocal," She said. "I like it."

"I just don't want you to do something you're not comfortable with," He explained.

"Well, if you don't say anything, I don't know if I'm doing something wrong," She said.

"It all feels good so far," Hellboy said. "I'll tell you if I don't like something."

"Nah, come on," Liz said. "Boss me around a little. Tell me where you want my mouth and hands to go."

"Boss you around?" Hellboy asked. "Like the night in the woods?"

Liz smirked. "_Maybe_…"

"Um…" Hellboy said. "I feel like we need to build back up to that… ya know… after what happened last week."

"Just don't actually try to fuck me and we'll be good," Liz said with a shrug.

Hellboy continued to stay in his position, leaned back on his elbows. His tail crept up and rested on his thigh. He seemed unsure how he should respond. Liz put her hands on his thighs, one hand landing on the tip of his tail, which caused him to jerk slightly.

"Why'd you jerk?" She asked.

"It's pretty sensitive," Hellboy explained, nodding to his tail.

"Sensitive, how?" She asked, wrapping both hands around the tip of his tail and holding it up.

"Well…" He started, feeling mildly uncomfortable talking about one of his unique features. "The tip is really sensitive. It has a lot of nerve endings. It's kind of like-"

He was cut off by Liz putting the tip of his tail in her mouth and sucking. The sensation made his elbows nearly give out from under him, but he managed to hold on. Liz took her mouth away, closely observing him.

"Did that feel good or bad?" Liz asked.

It took Hellboy a few seconds to find his voice.

"Good," Hellboy managed to say. "Really good, actually…"

Liz smiled and wrapped her lips around the tip of his tail once more, sucking and licking as she had done to his cock just a short while ago. Hellboy threw his head back and let out a moan, unable to keep quiet even if he had been trying. Liz took her hands away from his tail, and he kept it as steady as he could manage up against her lips. Her hands reached down and started jerking on his cock, which caused his elbows to buckle beneath the weight of his upper body. He folded his arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling, completely lost in this magnificent sensory overload.

Liz took his tail out of her mouth once more and guided it lower. A few seconds later, he felt the tip of his tail enter into something that felt similar to her mouth – warm and wet – and, through the fog of his mind, he realized she had put the tip into her vagina.

He managed to prop himself back up on his elbows and looked down at her. It was an oddly erotic sight to see: this gorgeous, young girl with the first couple of inches of his crimson tail inside of her, seemingly loving the sensation, judging by the look on her face.

"Does this feel good to you?" She asked.

"Very," He confessed.

"Can you twirl it in a circle?" Liz asked, almost pleadingly.

Hellboy carefully did as she requested, guiding the tip of his tail in a small, controlled circle. She squealed in delight, prompting him to do another circle in the opposite direction. The sensation was fantastic for him, but Liz appeared to be having an absolute out-of-body experience. He started twirling the tip of his tail in a continuous circle, becoming more and more excited by the noises Liz made in response. She reached down and guided his cock into her mouth while he made more circles in her pussy. She sucked his cock with increasing desperation as he pleasured her with his tail. Hellboy felt his orgasm quickly approaching, finding himself completely overcome with pleasure.

He was amazed when he felt Liz's vagina tighten like a vice around his tail and expand again, repeatedly, like a fist being opened and closed over and over again. She took her mouth away from his cock suddenly and let out a scream that could have very easily been heard by anyone near his apartment. As her orgasm died away, her legs gave out and she fell to the floor, his tail sliding out, landing with one leg tucked under her ass.

Hellboy stood from the bed and kneeled down next to her.

"Are you okay?" He asked, placing a hand on her back.

She nodded, seemingly unable to speak. Hellboy scooped her up and sat her up on the bed. He wrapped a blanket around her and sat down next to her, rubbing her back soothingly.

"That was…" Liz said with difficulty. "That was otherworldly. It was really intense. I think I prefer that to actual sex."

"Yeah?" Hellboy asked.

"It literally knocked me on my ass," Liz said, amazed.

"I would have caught you," Hellboy said. "I didn't know that was gonna happen."

"It's fine," Liz said, looking at his cock, which was still rock-hard. "So… your turn?"

"You don't have to," Hellboy said. "I could just duck in the bathroom and do it myself. It'll only take me about a minute."

"Can I watch?" Liz asked plainly.

"Watch me… masturbate?" Hellboy asked, taken aback. "Girls like that?"

"Oh, yeah," Liz said. "I don't think I've ever met a girl that doesn't like it."

Hellboy took a moment to think about it. He knew that most men liked to watch women masturbate, but he had never thought that it was the other way around as well. He supposed it made sense, but he didn't understand the appeal. Watching a woman masturbate was like watching a masterpiece being painted; it was graceful, artful, erotic, sophisticated in its own right. Watching a man masturbate was clumsy, bestial, almost vulgar. He had never fathomed that anyone could find it erotic.

"Um…" Hellboy said, standing up from the bed. "I mean… I guess, if you wanna…"

Liz got up, leaving the blanket on the bed. She followed Hellboy into the bathroom, her expression one of excitement. Hellboy wasn't sure how he felt about masturbating in front of someone, but he was willing to give it a try, especially since Liz seemed so eager to watch. He leaned against his bathroom vanity, propping his tail up over the countertop to make sure it was out of the way. After a moment of hesitation, Hellboy grabbed his massive cock with his left hand and began pumping very slowly.

Liz watched for a while, then closed the distance between them. Hellboy stopped pumping when she approached, but still left his hand wrapped around his cock. Liz grabbed his tail and lifted it up off the counter, guiding the tip to her mouth once more. She began sucking teasingly, causing a gasp to escape his lips. As Liz's sucking picked up, her eyes fixed on his cock, Hellboy began pumping with increased speed.

Hellboy was surprised when he felt himself reaching climax after less than a minute of pumping. He had assumed that sexual release would be drastically delayed, if not impossible, with Liz observing him, but he found the experience to be more erotic than he originally thought.

With a grunt, Hellboy turned around to face the vanity, the tip of his tail still in Liz's mouth. He aimed his cock down into the sink, his left hand forming a death grip around the shaft as he felt spurt after spurt evacuate. Feeling disoriented, he looked over at Liz, who had taken his tail out of her mouth.

"Ya know…" He said tiredly. "I was worried about you not being able to keep up with me… but I'm starting to feel like the tables are turning. You're killin' me…"

Liz smirked and looked down at her feet, her cheeks turning red. Hellboy leaned over to her, closed his eyes and tenderly pressed his lips against her forehead, lingering there for a few seconds, breathing in the scent of her hair. Liz walked back out into the main part of Hellboy's apartment while he washed his hands and cleaned out the sink. When he emerged from the bathroom, still naked, Liz had slipped on his robe, settled down into his beanbag chair and was flipping through channels on his television.

Hellboy walked over to his dresser and wrestled on a pair of boxers. He grabbed a bag of salt and vinegar chips, a blanket and settled down next to Liz on the beanbag chair, draping the blanket over both of them and resting the bag of chips between them.

Liz settled on a channel that was broadcasting The Wolf Man. She put her right hand in his left, both of them interlocking their fingers together. Liz dug her right hand into the bag and crammed an enormous fistful of chips into her mouth, crunching loudly.

"I love you," She managed to say through the mouthful.

Smirking, Hellboy took his left hand away and reached into the bag. He stuffed his mouth full and chewed a little bit.

"I love you, too," He managed to say.

Liz laid down on his chest as they watched the movie in silence. She reached into the bag and ate, getting chip crumbs on Hellboy's pecs, getting stuck in his chest hairs. He didn't mind one bit. He rubbed Liz's back until she fell into a light sleep.


	28. And We're Off

**3 Weeks Later**

On the morning of what was Liz and Hellboy's one month anniversary, Liz rolled over in Hellboy's bed, and the first thing she saw was an enormous plate of breakfast food sitting on his nightstand: pancakes, scrambled eggs and toast with a glass of orange juice. Thankfully, he only put half his usual amount of syrup on the pancakes. There was a folded piece of paper with her name on it that was partially weighted down by the glass. Liz sat up in the bed, picked up the cup, took a sip, and grabbed the note, still holding the glass in her free hand as she opened and read over it.

_Liz,_

_You know I'm not super great with words, but I just wanted to say 'happy one month anniversary.' This last month has been the happiest time in my life so far. I feel like you get me like nobody else ever has. You're my safe space. I feel so at peace when I'm around you. I hope you feel the same._

_Anyway, I had to get up early and do some things. I didn't want to wake you. Enjoy the food and I'll see you when I get back._

As Liz folded the note and sat it back on the nightstand, she realized she was smiling. She grabbed the plate and took a bite of the eggs, noticing that they had gone cold. It was hard telling how long Hellboy had been gone for. Liz got up off the bed and plopped down on the beanbag chair, sitting the orange juice at her side and the plate on her lap. Just as she turned on the television, she heard the door open.

She turned around and saw Hellboy walk in with two grocery bags cradled in his right arm and a manila folder in his right hand. Liz stopped herself from saying anything when she saw the grim look on his face. Liz knew he had a temper, and had seen it several times throughout their friendship, and even though he had never once turned his anger toward her – he'd rather die than ever allow himself to do that – she didn't want to press her luck.

Wordlessly, and without so much as even glancing at her, Hellboy threw the folder down on his desk and walked into the kitchen. She heard him sit the bags down on the countertop and begin putting things away.

Still holding the plate of food, she got up and entered the kitchen, his broad back to her. He placed peppers, onions and broccoli on the countertop, and slid what looked like strips of beef into the fridge. After shutting the fridge, he placed his forehead on the freezer door and took a deep breath.

"Hey…" Liz said cautiously, sitting her plate on the kitchen table as quietly as possible. "You okay?"

"Not really," Hellboy muttered into the freezer door, still standing with his back to her.

"What happened?" Liz asked, keeping a careful distance from him, half-expecting him to send something flying across the room.

There was a pause, but after a few moments, Hellboy stood up straight and walked over to the kitchen table, taking a seat.

"Trevor," He grumbled, looking glumly down at the tabletop.

"What did he do?" Liz asked, sitting down opposite him.

"Well," Hellboy said. "He's figured out that we're dating, and he's not happy about it."

"Wait," Liz said, resting her arms on the table. "How'd he figure it out?"

Hellboy jerked his head in the direction of the bags on the counter.

"I got you some anniversary presents," He said. "He called me into his office to talk to me about some work-related stuff. He saw one of your presents when he got close to the bags and got curious. He asked me who it was for. I tried to throw him off – tried to tell him it was for someone else, but he didn't buy it. He started going on about how he'd been getting a little suspicious at how things seemed different between us. I got pissed. I got up to leave, and one of the things I got you fell out of my pocket. It had your name on it, so there was no denying it."

"So, what happens now?" Liz asked.

"I don't know," Hellboy admitted. "He didn't seem mad, exactly. Just very disapproving."

"Do you want me to talk to him?" Liz asked.

"No, no, no," Hellboy practically snapped. "That might make things worse. We should probably just let him cool down."

"Cool down over _what_?" Liz asked incredulously. "He needs to _cool down _because you're dating someone and living your own fucking life? Bullshit."

"Let's just leave him be for a while, okay?" Hellboy begged. "I want to give you your gifts."

"Okay," Liz said with a sigh, taking a bite of her toast.

Hellboy grabbed one of the bags and carried it over to her. He sat it down beside her and she began digging through the contents. She pulled out a stuffed Bengal tiger, a box of chocolates in a heart shaped box and a small jewelry box. She popped the jewelry box open and beheld a dainty, gold necklace with a heart pendant. It was inscribed with Liz's name.

She placed the gifts down on the kitchen table and stood up. She wrapped her arms around him, digging her face into his chest.

"Thank you," She said.

Hellboy carefully placed his left arm around her.

"I'm gonna make us some stir-fry later," He said, squeezing her shoulder. "I got candles and everything."

"Aww," Liz said sarcastically. "Never would have guessed you were this romantic."

They broke the hug and walked back out into the main area of Hellboy's apartment. Hellboy sat down at his desk and opened the folder he brought in with him. Liz curiously wandered over and examined the contents over his shoulder.

"New case?" Liz asked, a hint of excitement in her voice.

"Yeah," Hellboy mumbled. "You were on it with me, but now… who knows…"

"You think Trevor will take me off just because we're dating?" Liz asked.

Hellboy sighed. "It wouldn't surprise me if he did. It's hard telling."

Liz let out a groan that was little more than a whisper.

"It would be stupid if he took me off," Liz said. "I feel like I learn more from you than I could learn from another agent. And we never get distracted by each other… except that one night out at Black Rock… but that was different."

"I know…" Hellboy said, leaning over his desk and pretending to read the papers.

"And we work so well together," Liz continued. "I know we haven't been on any huge cases in the last month, but still."

Hellboy closed the folder and turned around in his seat, expression solemn.

"Liz," He said quietly. "I don't want to scare you, but there's a possibility he might transfer you."

"What, like, to another department?" She asked.

"Maybe," Hellboy said with a shrug. "But… he could transfer you to a completely different facility. He didn't say anything to that effect, but I wouldn't put it past him."

"What the fuck…" Liz muttered.

"Like I said," Hellboy said, putting his left hand up in halting gesture. "He didn't say anything about it. It's just something that he might try to do. I just wanted to give you a heads up on all the posibilities."

"What happens if he tries?" Liz asked.

"Well," Hellboy said. "To be perfectly honest with you, I don't actually need this job. I can go into retirement any time I want. I just stay at it because I genuinely enjoy what I do. But, if he were to try to pull something like that, I say we just pack up and move somewhere."

Liz nodded after a moment of thinking. While Liz had never seen his exact bank balance, it stood to reason that he had a lot saved up, but she hadn't fathomed that he was retirement ready in his mid-thirties.

_Well_, She thought. _It _is _a government job. And a high-risk one, at that._

"So…" Liz said. "On the off-chance that I'm still on this case… what are we dealing with?"

Hellboy opened the folder back up and Liz sat down on his left knee to get a better look. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in closer.

"Looks like a big one this time," Hellboy said. "They're shipping us out to Louisiana. They're getting reports of a nest of vampires holed up in an abandoned church."

It excited Liz to think of possibly getting sent so far away from Connecticut. Up to this point, the farthest she had been sent away was Pennsylvania. And it was even more exciting because it appeared as if this case was the real deal. All but one of the cases she had been sent on were inconclusive for paranormal activity. The only case that was, without a doubt, paranormal in nature had been a haunting of sorts a few towns over. Bleeding walls, things flying across rooms or levitating, temperatures dropping unseasonably low to the point where everyone could see their breath, despite it being 80 degrees outside. It was scary, but it left Liz wanting more.

"Wait," Liz said, tilting her head. "I thought vampires couldn't set foot on church grounds…"

"Yeah, that's a myth," Hellboy said. "Vampires actually love churches for some reason. Nearly every time I deal with vampires, they're at a church."

"Oh," Liz said, pointing at the paper. "Abe's coming?"

"Yep," Hellboy said. "His first mission. Our boy's growing up."

"They're not starting him out small like they did with me," Liz observed.

"Well," Hellboy said. "To be fair, you never really know what a case is going to turn into. They just saddled you with cases that didn't _seem _big on the surface, but they could have very well been massive. There's no way of knowing until you start digging. I mean, we could just walk into this church, politely ask these vampires to leave, and head back home for all anyone knows."

Liz pressed her lips into a thin line as she absorbed this information, seemingly not buying Hellboy's words entirely. What he said made sense, but she felt as though the Bureau didn't feel like she could handle anything too big. Like she needed the training wheels, but Abe didn't.

"It's nothing to do with you, Liz," He said. "The Bureau is just kind of hesitant about… well, sending women out into the field when there's possible serious danger. I know it sounds kind of bad, but there are certain risks involved that are pretty exclusive to females."

"Yeah," Liz said huffily, getting up off of his lap. "I get it."

Hellboy flipped the folder shut and stood, wrapping his arms around her from behind and lowering his chin down on the top of her head.

"Let's not worry about work stuff today, okay?" Hellboy said softly. "Do you want me to take you anywhere for our anniversary?"

"It's kind of hard to not worry about it," Liz muttered. "Why is Trevor being such a dick?"

"He hasn't taken you off the case as far as I know," Hellboy defended.

"No," Liz said, rolling her eyes. "I mean he's being a dick to you. Like, what does he care if we're dating? I'm eighteen now. I can date who I want."

"It's not you that he's trying to control," Hellboy explained, taking his body away from her. "I think he's worried about the backlash. We're not exactly the same species… you've already seen how some people react to that."

"Fuck those people," Liz snapped back, turning to face him and crossing her arms.

"That's how I feel," Hellboy said. "But Trevor doesn't see it that way. He's big on prevention. He just doesn't want it happening in the first place so that there won't be any sort of mess to deal with later."

"Talk about living in fear," Liz mumbled, walking over to the bed and lying down, staring up at the ceiling.

Hellboy followed and laid down next to her, crossing his left arm over her chest and letting the hand rest on her right shoulder.

"He's a paranoid guy," Hellboy said. "Just ignore him for now. He'll most likely cool down eventually. Besides, he can't make us break up."

"No, but he can fuck my career up," Liz said. "I really like it here. It's been my home since I was a kid. I'd be pissed if I had to leave."

Hellboy took a breath in through his mouth and exhaled it slowly through his nose.

"I'll talk to him later tonight, okay?" Hellboy said. "I just don't want to set him off while the news is still fresh. That would make him make a rash decision more than anything. Plus, I'm still pretty fired-up about his attitude, and there are a lot of perfectly breakable things in his office. I should give myself time to cool off, too."

Liz sighed. "I think I need some retail therapy."

Hellboy smirked and sat up, immediately rummaging through his drawers for a change of clothes. Liz hopped off the bed and headed toward her apartment.

.

.

.

They arrived back at the Bureau just as the sun was beginning to set. They had wandered around the mall until the stores started closing up for the night in an attempt to distract themselves, and enjoy their anniversary as best they could. As Hellboy carried the shopping bags into the front entrance of the Bureau, he felt a weight pressing down on his chest; a feeling of dread.

As they made their way back to Hellboy's abode, they passed Trevor's office. Felix Mendelssohn's Concerto in E minor could be heard faintly drifting from his phonograph, which at least meant that he was home, and most likely filling out paperwork or reading over some texts.

They got back to Hellboy's apartment, and he placed the bags on the floor. He took a slow breath in and looked at Liz, who remained standing in front of him, looking up at him with a hint of nervousness in her amber eyes.

"Do you want me to go with you?" She asked.

"No," Hellboy said, shaking his head slightly. "I've been handling him all of my life. It's best if I go at this alone."

"Okay," Liz said after a while, not sounding or looking very certain.

Hellboy began to turn to leave, but stopped himself. He awkwardly stared at the ground for a few moments, then turned back to Liz. With his normal hand, he grabbed the back of her head and leaned down, kissing her on the forehead.

"I'll be back," He said quietly.

Hellboy walked back to Bruttenholm's office, the heaviness of his chest worsening with each step he took. He stood in the doorway for a moment and saw that Trevor was sitting at his desk, scribbling some things from a large, aged book onto a notepad. Though the music was quiet, it was enough to drown out approaching footsteps, even ones as loud as Hellboy's. He took in a breath and knocked on the doorframe with his flesh hand.

Trevor looked up from his work with an unreadable expression. He motioned for Hellboy to come in, then reached over to take the needle off of the vinyl record, rudely cutting Felix off in the middle of his concerto. As Hellboy gently closed the door behind him, the two were left in almost perfect silence. Hellboy remained standing by the door.

"Did you need something?" Trevor asked, folding his hands on his desk.

"I don't want to argue with you," Hellboy mumbled.

"What are we arguing about, exactly?" Trevor asked, but seemed to know the answer.

"Me and Liz," Hellboy said.

"Ah," Trevor said plainly. "Well, I don't want to argue with you about that, either… however, I would like to discuss it with you."

The tip of Hellboy's tail twitched. His adoptive father's attitude had changed quite a bit since that morning, and it caught him off guard slightly. Hellboy had come here fully expecting – but not wanting – to get in a shouting match.

"Have a seat," Trevor said, gesturing to the horribly uncomfortable Astoria Grand armchair in front of his desk.

Hellboy complied, walking over to his desk and taking a seat in the chair, causing the dusty, ancient thing to squeak horrendously beneath him, having to resort to positioning his tail off to the side, making it poke out beneath the armrest, the tip touching the floor.

"So…" Trevor said, leaning back in his chair. "How long have you and Miss Sherman been involved?"

"A month today," Hellboy answered, trying his best to not sound defensive or confrontational, but knowing that some of it bled through.

"Since she's been back, then," Trevor said with a nod.

"Pretty much," Hellboy said. "We didn't start dating right away. There was some confusion, then we had… sort of a falling out, I guess. But, yeah, a little after she came back."

"I see," Trevor said, sitting up straight again. "And which one of you had these feelings first? Was it mutual?"

"Well," Hellboy said, looking down at his hooves somewhat abashedly. "It was me. When I went to get her at the airport… I dunno, she was just different. I tried to ease into it. That's what my friend, Rachel, told me to do – just ease into it – but, Liz caught on and got kind of mad and… it wasn't really good for a while. But it all turned out good."

Trevor was honestly a little taken aback to hear that Hellboy had a female friend outside of the Bureau. He had taken note that as Hellboy aged and progressed through puberty that women were especially uncomfortable around him, which was quite the opposite from when he was a young boy. Women seemed to feel maternal and protective of him in his younger years, but it all changed when puberty hit him like a freight train. He wasn't a rambunctious little boy anymore. He had become an out-of-control, moody, oftentimes angry young man who could very easily rip a car in half with his bare hands. In fact, he did exactly that on one of his more extreme outbursts.

"Is there any chance Elizabeth is doing this out of obligation?" Trevor asked. "Perhaps she feels sympathy for you? Or as if she owes you something?"

Hellboy felt a small flame of rage flicker in his chest, but he managed to snuff it out in time. He closed his eyes, then snapped them back open.

"No, Trevor," Hellboy said shakily. "Liz isn't dating me because she feels sorry for me, or like she owes me."

"Have you two been… intimate?" Trevor went on.

"What the hell…" Hellboy asked, alarmed by the direction the questions were going. "Why do you want to know that?"

"I'm just trying to ascertain the nature of this relationship," Trevor explained firmly.

"We're dating," Hellboy growled, raising his voice and smacking his normal flesh hand on the armrest just a little too hard, causing the wood to make a snapping noise, though no damage was visible. "We're in love, we like each other – that's the nature of the relationship! Christ…"

Hellboy stood up and walked over to one of the bookshelves, his rising anger making him feel the need to move before he said or did something he'd regret later.

"I've always worried about this," Trevor said after he felt that Hellboy was calm enough for him to continue. "I've always worried that a woman would simply use you or perceive you as a novelty, and that you would be too blind to see it. I've always worried that if you ever did become romantically involved with a woman that genuinely cared for you that you would receive backlash from society."

"I've already gotten some backlash for it," Hellboy said, glaring over at him. "And y'know what? It sucks coming from strangers, but it's ten times worse when it's comin' from you."

A deafening silence filled Trevor's office as the two stared at each other. Trevor was suddenly aware of the pain that shone in his adoptive son's yellow eyes, and he felt a pang of guilt. He idly wondered if the pain had been there all along, and he had never taken notice.

"I know I age differently," Hellboy went on, sounding slightly more calm. "And I know that I'm different in general… but I've got this. I'm not being used, and I'm not being looked at as some sideshow attraction… not by Liz, anyway. She actually likes me. I've got a really good feeling about us."

Trevor nodded, a faint smirk spreading across his lips. "Then I trust your judgement."

Hellboy held Trevor's gaze and studied his face. He seemed genuine in his statement. Hesitant, but genuine. Hellboy looked away and nodded, walking out of Trevor's office wordlessly. Before he reached the end of the hallway, he could hear Felix Mendelssohn starting his Concerto in E minor over again, from the beginning.

**2 Days Later**

Liz sat on her suitcase, cheeks slightly red with effort, and attempted to zip it shut, but to no avail. She looked down and saw that the zipper appeared as if it were going to burst at the seams.

"Only the essentials, I take it?" Hellboy asked playfully, suddenly appearing in her apartment doorway that she had left standing open.

"Pretty much, yeah," Liz said, clearly out of breath.

Hellboy wandered over and dropped to his knees beside the suitcase, looking at the items that were bulging out and preventing it from shutting. He smirked.

"I'm not trying to boss you around or nothin'," He said. "But I don't think you're gonna have time to read all of these books. You might wanna just pack one or two."

Liz slid off of the suitcase and opened it up, looking over the contents.

"Well, how long are we supposed to be gone for?" Liz asked.

"It's hard telling," Hellboy said. "Could come back tomorrow, could come back two weeks from now. You really never know."

Liz bit her lower lip and studied the open suitcase. She grabbed all but one of the books and made a stack on the floor, pushing them off to the side. She closed the suitcase and zipped it up without difficulty, though it was still a fairly tight fit.

"Are you and Abe all packed?" She asked.

"I am," Hellboy said, standing back up and heading for the door. "I have no idea about Abe. I should probably go check on him, make sure he's got the right stuff."

Liz nodded as Hellboy vanished. She lugged her suitcase up on her bed and sat down. She absentmindedly pulled the necklace up out of her shirt and fiddled with the silver, circular talisman that hung from the black cord. Hellboy had given it to her the night before, and encouraged her to wear it on the trip. He had explained that it was a protection talisman of sorts, meant to momentarily protect the wearer from evil. It should at least buy her some time if something went south.

She tucked the necklace back into her shirt and rolled her eyes. She felt like Hellboy was a bit too overprotective of her at times. It seemed like he forgot that she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, especially these days. All the same, it made her happy that he was looking out for her. Like her own guardian demon.

Hellboy came back to her apartment with Abe in tow, who remained standing out in the hallway somewhat awkwardly, holding a single, small suitcase. Hellboy grabbed Liz's suitcase off the bed with his stone hand, carrying his own suitcase in his left.

"Our ride's ready when we are," Hellboy said as he led them out into the hallway.

Liz locked her apartment door behind them and followed them outside. Hellboy and Abe loaded the suitcases up in the cargo bay of the private jet, the BPRD logo plastered on the side glinting in the light of the rising sun. Hellboy secured the hatch and they all clambered aboard.

"You okay?" Hellboy muttered as he sat down in the window seat.

"Not really," Liz confided as she sat next to him. "I'm really nervous. I've never flown before."

"Oh, it's not all that scary," Hellboy said. "It'll be fine. We'll be there before you know it."

Liz didn't look very reassured, eyes darting around the plane nervously. Hellboy smirked and reached over, grabbing her hand with his left and giving it a squeeze. She looked over at him and they locked gazes.

"It'll be fine," He repeated.

Liz took a deep breath and nodded. She didn't let go of his hand the entire flight.


	29. Louisiana

They touched down in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the pilot expertly landing them on the strip. If Hellboy hadn't been looking out the window, he might not have even realized that they were back on solid ground. He flexed his left hand, attempting to pull Liz out of her daze. Her hand was tightly wrapped around his wrist in a death grip, the beds of her nails an alarming shade of white from the pressure she was applying.

Liz blinked and looked over at him. "Are we in Louisiana?"

Hellboy nodded.

"That wasn't too bad," Liz confessed, even though her eyes were slightly bloodshot and had formed grey bags beneath them.

"Told ya so," Hellboy said, flexing his hand again. "Could I have my arm back? The circulation's been cut off since we hit Kentucky."

"Oh, shit," She said, taking her hand away. "Sorry."

Liz stood and Hellboy immediately followed. Her legs wavered slightly, Hellboy quickly placing his left hand under her elbow to steady her, and he turned his attention to Abe, who was still sitting, nose stuck in a book that must have weighed 10 pounds or more.

"Hey, Sapien," Hellboy grunted. "We're here."

Abe blinked and looked around, clearly not anticipating how short the journey was, and being too lost in his book to even notice. He snapped the book shut and stood, following Hellboy and Liz outside to retrieve their luggage. They unloaded their bags and Hellboy spotted their rental car in a parking lot nearby. He dug around for the key in his shorts pocket and led the way.

The trio stacked their luggage in the trunk and piled into the car, Hellboy in the driver's seat, Liz riding shotgun, and Abe sitting in the back. He drove to the hotel, which was some overly-fancy looking place that gave him the vibe that there was more than likely a very expensive grand piano in the lobby, along with a massive fireplace and a bar that only served top shelf wine and scotch.

Hellboy walked up to the front desk, Liz and Abe following behind. The young black woman behind the desk, in a navy blue dress suit, equipped with badge that stated her name was Emma, didn't act uncomfortable as he and Abe approached, which was always a good thing.

"You're with the Bureau, aren't you?" She asked, addressing Hellboy more so than Liz or Abe.

"We are," Hellboy confirmed.

"You here to deal with the…" She lowered her voice and leaned a little closer to him. "Vampires?"

"Yep," Hellboy said with a nod.

"Good, good," Emma said somewhat nervously. "I'm only askin' 'cuz… well, my baby sister has been missin' for a while."

"You think they took her?" Hellboy asked.

"Maybe," Emma responded. "Either she ran away again, or they took her. Lotta folks been comin' up missing ever since they showed up. I don't think it's a coincidence."

"Got a picture?" Hellboy asked. "I could keep an eye out for her when we storm the place."

"Her name's Kayla, and she looks almost exactly like me," Emma said. "Except she's shorter and has a long scar runnin' through her lips, on the right side."

"Okay," Hellboy said. "We'll definitely be on the lookout."

"Thanks…" Emma said, looking down at the papers laid out on the desk before her. "How were you guys wanting to do the rooms?"

"They want their own room," Abe answered quickly, the first time he had spoken a word all day. "I'll take a separate."

The girl nodded, and Hellboy looked over at Abe, somewhat surprised. The girl scribbled a few things down on a paper and produced 2 keys from behind the desk, handing one to Hellboy and the other to Abe.

"Enjoy your stay," The girl said as they walked toward their rooms. "And good luck."

.

.

.

Hellboy helped himself to another doughnut, dunking it into his cup of coffee before taking a bite. Deputy Chief Doner pulled a thick stack of papers out from a drawer in his desk and sat them in front of Hellboy.

"Missing posters," Doner explained. "Just in the last couple of weeks, ever since those things showed up. People go missing around here all the time, but not at this rate."

"I definitely see why you called us," Hellboy said after he swallowed the remainder of his doughnut, leaning back in his chair with his cup of coffee concealed within his mighty stone hand, the steam rising out, making his hand appear to be a volcano on the verge of erupting.

"It's an epidemic," Doner grumbled, taking a seat at his desk opposite Hellboy, Liz and Abe.

"Now, do you have any proof that they're abducting these missing people?" Hellboy asked.

"No," Doner admitted. "But we all feel like the two have to be linked somehow. Either they're using these people as food, and they're dead, or they're turning them."

Hellboy nodded. "I've dealt with vampires quite a bit in my career. I've seen people be kept alive purely as a reliable food source, so we'll have to keep in mind that there may be innocent people being held there."

"I can send a few of my officers to assist you," Doner offered.

"Well," Hellboy said, shifting in his seat. "I can't really stop you, but I strongly advise against it. Obviously we're not going in there looking for a fight, but it almost always comes down to that. I don't want more causalities than what there might already be."

"Fair enough," Doner said. "We'll be on standby if you change your mind."

"'Preciate it," Hellboy said with a lazy nod.

Doner slid a paper with the coordinates scrawled on it across his desk. Hellboy carefully folded it in half and slid it in his pants pocket, getting up from his seat and dropping his empty cup in a small wastebasket on his way out of Doner's office.

"Well," Hellboy muttered as they walked outside. "The day's still young. Gonna be a while before our blood-sucking friends are active, so what do you guys wanna do to kill time?"

"Isn't daytime the best time to strike, though?" Liz asked.

"Well, technically, yes," Hellboy said as he climbed into the driver's seat of the rental car. "But we have to follow some rules. We can't charge in, guns a'blazing, especially when they haven't actually done anything as far as we know."

"But, people are coming up missing…" Liz said as she sat in the passenger seat next to him.

"Yeah," Hellboy said. "But we have nothing to actually tie them to the disappearances. Could be runaways for all we know. These vampires might be innocent."

"They're vampires," Liz argued, cocking her head to the side.

"There have been vampires, and other creatures, that came in peace," Hellboy said. "I came across a clan of vampires that only ever fed off of people who willingly volunteered. So, like, they were basically vegetarian. It's not illegal to simply be a vampire – it's only illegal if you're causing trouble."

"I mean… I guess," Liz said, crossing her arms and slumping in her seat. "Just feels like now is a good time to take action..."

Hellboy started the car and rolled his window down. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"So," He said. "Like I was sayin', what do you guys want to do while we wait for the sun to go bye-bye?"

"Isn't 'The Empire Strikes Back' playing right now?" Abe quietly asked from the backseat.

"Shit," Hellboy said as he shifted the car into drive. "You're right."

"Oh, my god," Liz said. "I can't believe I forgot."

Hellboy took off, faintly recalling that he had seen a theatre as they left the hotel. Liz fastened her seatbelt, laughing and holding onto the edge of her seat as Hellboy ever-so-slightly sped the whole way there.

.

.

.

When the movie let out, there was still quite a bit of daylight left to burn. The trio got back into the car, Liz still munching on the remainder of her popcorn. Hellboy started the car.

"What now?" He asked.

"Honestly, I'm kind of tired," Abe said. "We should probably get some rest before tonight. At least, I should."

"Yeah," Liz said. "I'm thinking an hour or two would do me some good."

"You guys are so boring," Hellboy teased.

He drove back to the hotel, doing the speed limit this time. They went to their rooms, Abe to his, Liz and Hellboy to theirs. As soon as Liz locked the door behind them, Liz began disrobing, starting with her shirt. Hellboy looked over his shoulder when he heard the fabric hit the floor.

"You're not tired," Hellboy muttered. "You're horny."

"Astute observation," Liz said as she dropped her bra on top of her shirt.

Hellboy grinned as he watched her disrobe, still just as blown away by her body as he was the first time he had seen it in all of its naked glory. Liz took her shorts and underwear off, then kicked off her sandals, letting them all stack in a neat pile by the door.

"Take your pants off," Liz ordered teasingly.

Hellboy happily obliged, wanting to wait for her to instruct him on what she wanted from him. He took his shorts and boxers off, giving his stiffening cock some relief as it hung freely.

"The muscle shirt, too," Liz went on.

Again, Hellboy obeyed, peeling off the black muscle shirt and letting it hit the floor. Liz smiled and sat on the edge of the bed. She motioned for him to come over to her, a sneaky grin spreading across her face. He walked over and she wrapped both hands tightly around his cock, leaning her head forward and wrapping her lips around the head as best she could.

"Fuck," Hellboy whispered unintentionally.

Liz slowly sucked, dragging her tongue below and around the head, reveling in the way Hellboy's body tensed and slackened with pleasure with every movement she made. She felt a small thrill jolt through her body with every quiet moan that escaped his throat. He was amazed with how good it felt, despite the fact that she could only really suck on the very end of his cock. He supposed it _was_ the most sensitive part, but the way she did it seemed almost magical.

Suddenly, Liz pulled his cock out of her mouth and spit on it, stroking her hands down to the base of his cock, then back up to the head, then back down to the base again all in a very smooth motion. Hellboy threw his head back and hissed through his teeth as the pleasure radiated through his body. Liz ducked her head down and began sucking on his balls, which caused him to place his left hand on her shoulder without thinking about it, urging her to stay where she was.

Between her smooth, lubricated strokes and her tongue and lips gliding all over his balls, Hellboy felt as though he was already nearly bursting. He started to pull away, but Liz held tightly onto his cock, silently telling him that he wasn't going anywhere. Liz held her head up directly beneath his cockhead and held her tongue out, still vigorously pumping, relaying to him that she knew he was on the verge of climax.

Hellboy closed his eyes and let out a quiet moan as he felt that familiar feeling creep up on him. Before he knew it, he had started cumming into Liz's open mouth. She wrapped her lips back around the tip of his cock, eagerly swallowing his copious load. She continued sucking for several seconds after he had finished, and only stopped when she felt his cock becoming flaccid.

"Goddamn…" Hellboy muttered when she took her lips away. "It's definitely your turn."

Liz squealed with excitement as he gently pulled her legs apart and dug his tongue between her pussy lips, kneeling down beside the bed. He started out slowly at first, but gradually picked up the pace, flicking his tongue up and down just below her clit. After a few minutes, Liz found it nearly impossible to remain in her sitting position and laid flat on her back on the bed, her body becoming numb with pleasure.

Hellboy put his hands on her hips and very gently pulled her lower half closer to his mouth. He looked up and saw that Liz had taken to sliding her hand over her smooth, flat stomach. He took his tongue lower and briefly pushed it in and out of her opening, eliciting a long, soft moan from her lips.

"Oh, yeah," Liz moaned out. "Tongue-fuck me…"

Hellboy obeyed, jamming his tongue into her as far as it would go. He left it in and wiggled the tip, causing her body to tense up in the most delightful way. She brought her right hand up to her left nipple and began rubbing and twisting it gently, her lithe body seemingly unable to keep still under the pleasure she was receiving.

"Suck my clit," Liz said, propping her feet up on the edge of the bed and spreading them as far as she could to allow him better access.

Hellboy pulled his tongue out of her glorious opening and placed his mouth over her clit, forming a kind of vacuum with his lips and tongue. He couldn't have been doing it for much more than a minute before Liz's entire body had gone rigid with pleasure.

"You're gonna-" Liz said, voice straining. "You're gonna make me cum…"

Hellboy carefully kept his pace, and before he knew it, Liz had brought her left hand down on the back of his head and her legs had come down to form an X on his back. He felt his cock hardening once more as Liz came, but he refrained from touching it. To Hellboy's disappointment – because he could happily stay between Liz's thighs for hours – she let go of his head and took her legs away, letting out a sigh.

"Okay," Liz said, pulling herself up on the bed and resting on a pillow. "_Now _I'm tired."

"Same," Hellboy said, crawling in bed next to her.

Liz rolled over and pulled the plush comforter up over both of them. Hellboy wanted to tell her that sleeping in the nude together might not be a good idea if she truly wanted to sleep, but he hesitated. He looked inward and decided that he might be able to keep himself from getting too hot and bothered. He just needed to relax, to try not to focus on it.

As Hellboy calmed himself, he rolled over and spooned her, protectively wrapping his stone arm around her, digging his face into her shoulder. They were both asleep within minutes.


	30. The Siege

According to the case file, the church had been abandoned for roughly 20 years, and it definitely showed. It was a large church, and its structure was bowing in some places, and nearly caving in in others. It was made of some sort of wood, and apparently the wood hadn't been treated, now a brownish-gray that had been worn by years of neglect, sun and merciless Louisiana humidity.

The cross at the top of the steeple was leaning to the side, appearing as if the slightest breeze would send it tumbling down the extremely pointed roof, and subsequently crashing to the ground. The whole structure appeared as if it were held together by chewing gum and happy thoughts. It was a wonder that the locals didn't just bulldoze it years ago... or just yank any of the old, delapidated boards from the lower part of the building and watch it all come down to the ground like a tower of Jenga blocks. Getting actual equipment involved seemed like it would be overkill for the old, ruinous heap.

Liz, Hellboy and Abe kept a safe distance from the church, sitting on the ground, staying somewhat hidden in the trees that surrounded the place, waiting for the sun to fully disappear beneath the horizon. The last few rays surrounded the decrepit church in a ball of orange light, and weaved through the trees surrounding it, casting long, deep shadows on the ground.

Hellboy sat with his legs tucked beneath him, carefully loading his .44 Magnum. It wasn't that he necessarily planned to use it. If the situation came down to a fight, he'd prefer to use his stone fist by far. It had just become a habit to load his gun over the years, especially when he was on a case that required waiting. It had become almost comforting to him; a distraction. He hated waiting around when he knew that there was an issue that needed resolved, and was staring him right in the face.

He looked over at Liz, who had taken a seat on the ground near him, her knees covering the lower half of her face. She had her amber eyes fixed on the church, the faint rays of sunlight making her eyes look like pools of honey.

"Remember," Hellboy muttered to her, carefully closing the spinning bullet chamber. "That protection talisman will help, but only so much. If things get messy, do what you gotta do. Run, roast 'em, anything. Just be careful and stay aware."

Liz nodded and took a deep breath. Hellboy stood, slid his .44 into his holster and helped Liz up. Abe stood, looking at his utility belt to make sure his twin Beretta pistols were still snug in their holsters.

"I'd say it's about dark enough now to approach them," Hellboy said, looking around. "Just be calm and let me handle the talking for now."

Abe and Liz nodded, calmly following him up to the front door, or what was left of it. Hellboy brought his left hand up to the door, positive that his stone fist would have turned the ancient door into a fine powder and sent it floating on a gentle breeze, and knocked carefully.

There was a quiet shuffling sound from somewhere inside the building. The trio patiently waited, and Hellboy prepared to knock once more when the door just barely opened a crack. A young man peered through the crack at them warily, only a sliver of his face visible.

"Yes?" He asked, barely above a whisper.

"We're with the BPRD," Hellboy explained evenly. "We've gotten some complaints that right around the time you guys rolled into town, a lotta people started turnin' up missing. We wanted to ask if you knew anything about that."

The young man seemed to think for a moment, a still silence filling the air between them as his single visible eye drifted from Hellboy, to Liz, to Abe and back again.

"You'll want to speak to Countess Blair, then..." The young man said. "Just a moment."

He slid the door closed and the trio were left alone once more. After a few moments, the door slowly came back open, though nobody had apparently opened it through any physical means. The three looked straight ahead, all the way up to the altar and saw a thin, pale woman sitting on a rickety, old chair in front of it, as if it were a throne. There were a few people circled around her, presumably vampires, groveling at her feet.

The woman regarded them silently, then gestured lazily with a hand for them to enter, to come closer.

"State your business," She said with little interest as they slowly approached, large fangs glinting in the limited light that the candles scattered everywhere gave off.

Liz, Abe and Hellboy stopped just as they came up to the front row of pews.

"Like we told your buddy at the door," Hellboy said. "We're with the BPRD, and we've been getting some complaints from the locals. Seems as though you and your friends might have something to do with most of the recent disappearances."

A particularly creepy smile came to Countess Blair's face, her cheekbones casting deep shadows on her eye sockets, making them appear hollow and black in the candlelit church.

"People come up missing all the time," She said almost wistfully.

"Not at this rate," Hellboy jabbed back. "And it seemed to spike dramatically when you guys showed up."

Countess Blair leaned forward in her makeshift throne, focusing intently on Hellboy, as if something caught her attention suddenly.

"Such power," She muttered, mostly to herself. "Such raw power..."

Hellboy gave her a confused look, not sure what she was on about. He started to open his mouth to speak, but lost his voice as Countess Blair stood from her throne. She was rail thin, quite tall - as tall as Hellboy - and her extremeties were overly long and thin, almost spiderlike. It was as if her arms, legs and fingers had been stretched out. Her neck was unnaturally thin and long as well, and it was a wonder that it could support her head.

She walked up to Hellboy, her empty, eerie blue eyes level with his yellow ones, her bones creaking with every step. She reached a bony hand up to his face to touch his horn stumps, but he stopped her by grabbing her by the wrist with his flesh hand.

Countess Blair's mouth dropped open as she let out a vicious hiss and backed away, limbs flailing slightly. The vampires that had been groveling on the floor had sprung up, ready to attack if their Countess should give the order.

As Hellboy's eyes darted around cautiously, he noticed that some other vampires had appeared from places unknown, surrounding the 3 of them in a loose circle. Some stood outside, peering in through the windows, their faces cast in an eerie mix of deep shadow and dim candlelight, fangs and eyes gleaming.

"Look, lady," Hellboy grumbled, raising his hands in front of him. "We don't want any trouble. We just wanna know if you know anything about the missing people."

The Countess regained her composure and regarded Hellboy calmly once more.

"I might know where a few of them have gone," She said. "But you must understand... many of them came willingly."

"And the ones that didn't come willingly?" Hellboy pressed.

Countess Blair was quiet as she locked eyes with him. She laughed. It wasn't a pleasant laugh.

"By the time you find out," She said, raising a spindly hand, palm out to him. "It will be too late for you."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Hellboy asked.

Countess Blair's hand was engulfed in a purple-black light. It moved like ink in water, slowly, swirling.

"Lady, I asked you a - AAGH!" Hellboy cried suddenly, collapsing to his knees in pain.

"Red!" Liz yelled, reaching a hand out toward him.

Countess Blair swung her hand around, aiming it at Liz, the purple-black light sluggishly following behind. Countess Blair made a tight fist and opened it, and Liz went flying back to the church entrance, landing just at the threshold on her stomach. It was a wonder none of the floorboards broke from the impact.

Abe reached for the guns in his holsters, but Countess Blair was quick to act. Taking her hand, and the strange energy that encompassed it, she sent his guns scattering, one to the left, the other to the right. Before Abe could react, she sent him flying in Liz's direction. If Liz hadn't rolled out of the way just in time, he would have landed directly on top of her.

Hellboy, still on his knees, eyes shut tightly in pain, seemed mostly unaware of what was transpiring.

"Leave us," Countess Blair said quietly to Liz and Abe.

With a slight flick of her wrist, she opened the door from where she was standing, several feet away. With another flick, she sent the 2 outside into the night, skidding across the grass. By the time they got their wits about them, they realized Countess Blair had drug them quite a ways a way, back into the trees.

Abe stood and held a hand to Liz. She took it and stood, shakily.

"What the fuck does she want with Hellboy?" Liz asked. "What is she doing to him?"

"I don't know," Abe said, his hand still on hers. "But we have to get back in there before something bad happens to him."

They took off running back in the direction of the church, noticing dozens of vampires crawling weightlessly on the roof and walls of the church, and dozens more sprinting around the yard.

"Stay back, Abe," Liz said. "Get behind me."

"Uh..." Abe began to say, but ultimately obeyed, staying a few feet behind her.

Liz breathed in, and balled her hands up into fists. Closing her eyes, she brought her fists up to the side of her head. When her eyes snapped back open, flame danced around her wrists, climbing up to her fingers, until her hands were entirely engulfed. A few moments later, many of the vampires on the ground began bursting into flame, screeching terribly, sprinting aimlessly, trying in vain to put the blaze out.

A few of the vampires up on the roof and walls attempted to pounce, but Liz quickly set them alight. The few that didn't pounce made their way back into the building through the windows, retreating to what they mistook for safety.

"Come on," Liz said to Abe, making her way back to the church.

Liz tried to open the door, but it seemed stuck. It didn't make sense for just how stuck it was. She figured Countess Blair must have used some sort of magic to hold it in place and keep them out. Liz let some fire ooze out from her fingertips and blast the door, and the flame began to catch, much to Liz's surprise.

Once the fire burned up enough of the door, Liz brought up her foot and kicked with all of her might. The door exploded into a million charred and flaming pieces, and Abe and Liz came rushing in.

"Oh, my God," Liz said, eyes widening and mouth hanging open in shock.

Standing before Countess Blair was Hellboy, except... not.

Abe and Liz could only see Hellboy's back, but they could both tell that it wasn't truly him. He had grown nearly 3 feet, and his horns were fully formed, towering above his head, the ends sharpened to a vicious point. Between his horns rested what appeared to be a crown of flame. His duster lay in tatters at his feet, either having ripped off when he grew, or having been ripped off by hand.

Countess Blair stood before Hellboy, looking up at him in pure ecstasy. She turned her gaze to Liz and Abe, smiling.

"Kill them," Countess Blair cooed.

Hellboy turned around and faced his friends. This thing wore Hellboy's face, but it most certainly wasn't Hellboy. There was nothing in his once-warm eyes; now cold and empty, a slight orange glow to them. His jaw, once a tight and stubborn thing, was now slack. This massive, ungainly body was merely a husk.

_Anung Un Rama_, Liz thought bitterly, forlornly, remembering when Hellboy had revealed his true origins, his true purpose to her, all of those years ago.

Anung Un Rama began lumbering toward them. Abe saw one of his guns that had been thrown and managed to retrieve it, cocking and aiming it up at his friend.

"Red," Abe warned. "I don't want to have to shoot you. Just stop where you are."

Anung Un Rama kept coming, seemingly oblivious that any words had even been spoken.

"Let's get outside," Liz said, backing up, keeping her eyes carefully fixed on the massive demon. "Get some space while we figure out what to do..."

Abe nodded and followed her out the door. As Anung Un Rama came out, he failed to duck under the door and sent splintering wooden boards flying. Abe and Liz kept out of his reach fairly easily, each of them thankful that he was at least fairly slow, and thankful that the moon was bright enough to light up the night enough for them to see where they were going.

"Oh, God, Abe," Liz said, sounding as if she were about to burst into tears. "I don't know what to do."

"Do you think putting a few bullets in him would wake him up?" Abe asked. "Snap him out of it?"

"I... I don't know. I doubt it... fuck, this isn't good..."

"I'm gonna at least try," Abe said, turning to face Anung Un Rama, aiming his gun.

Quietly, Liz began to cry. She was scared out of her mind. The man she loved was gone, and there was no telling if or when he'd be back, and now, he was about to be shot at.

Abe got 2 shots off, direct hits to the demon's abdomen, but he barely reacted to them. This brought Liz both relief and dread. She was happy that he wasn't hurt, but she was also terrified that he wasn't hurt. If bullets barely had an effect on him, what the hell could they do to subdue him?

Abe continued to squeeze shots off on him, aiming at the same spot in his abdomen, but he continued to lumber closer still.

"Abe," Liz warned as she backed away. "He's getting really close. Back away, Abe!"

Either not hearing Liz over the firing, or simply not heeding her warning, he stayed in his position until his gun ran out of bullets, clicking hollowly. Abe began to turn away to retreat with Liz, but before he could take off, Anung Un Rama swung his flesh hand out and struck Abe on the back of the head, sending him flying several feet. Liz heard Abe hit something, hard, when he landed somewhere in the dark.

"Abe?" Liz called. "Abe?!"

No answer. She could hear Anung Un Rama lumbering around, seeing his crown of flame hovering above his head, casting an eerie glow on his face more than the rest of his body. She sobbed, trying to quiet it as best she could, taking off in a sprint. Every time she looked over her shoulder, it seemed as if he had gained on her a little, closing the distance between them. It confused her... he seemed so slow before.

She could hardly see through the tears welling up in her eyes, and was thankful in a sort of macabre way for the burning crown above his head, acting as a sort of marker.

"Please," Liz whispered to the night as she ran. "Please, no, not like this... please..."

Liz ran until she felt like she would collapse from exhaustion. Anung Un Rama was so close that she could hear him breathe. She turned around and watched as he came in closer, trying to keep running, but knowing that her body and lungs were nearing exhaustion. Desperately, knowing that she was grasping at straws, Liz reached into her shirt and pulled out the protection talisman. holding it out towards him.

"GO AWAY!" Liz shrieked, tears streaming down her face.

To Liz's surprise, Anung Un Rama seemed repelled, whether by the talisman or her shrieking, it wasn't clear, but he took a step back and stood still for a few moments, staring at her. Liz's legs gave out beneath her, both from exhaustion and fear, and she sat on the ground, staring up at him, panting and crying.

"Just go away..." Liz pleaded weakly to him.

Anung Un Rama leaned forward, hands outstretched and expression unreadable. Liz tried to crawl away, but her entire body felt as though it were made of rubber and he scooped her up. Liz screamed, though her lungs felt like they were about to burst from overuse, and she kicked and punched with what little strength she had left. Her assault did nothing, and Anung Un Rama showed no sign that he even noticed it.

Liz noticed that he wasn't trying to kill her, at least not yet. She saw the futility in her attempts and stopped trying to fight him. He was lumbering back in the direction of the church. The thought crossed her mind that perhaps Countess Blair was communicating with him somehow, telling him what to do and where to go.

"Hellboy, I know you're in there somewhere," Liz said, panic welling up inside of her. "Please, just let me go..."

He gave no response, no indication that he heard her.

Anung Un Rama entered the church, Liz in his grasp. She saw that Countess Blair had set up several candles around the altar at the front of the church, and waited patiently behind it. Anung Un Rama walked up to the altar and attempted to lay Liz down on it, but she tried to squirm away as soon as he took his hands away.

"Be still," Countess Blair commanded, that purple-black energy appearing around her spindly hand once more.

She held her hand up, and the next thing Liz knew, she was pushed back down on the altar, unable to move an inch. Liz tried to set Countess Blair on fire, but she found herself unable to use her powers, no matter how hard she tried.

"Please..." Liz begged, voice straining with fear. "Please, stop this..."

"I can't stop," Countess Blair said. "My army must grow."

"What?" Liz asked. "What do you mean? What are you doing with me?"

Countess Blair walked over to stand over Liz's face, looking down at her as she spoke.

"I decided that you're too valuable to pass up," Countess Blair explained. "You and your pet. My quest for domination will be much easier with you two in my legion."

The gravity of what Countess Blair was saying began to sink in, and Liz began struggling against her invisible restraints, getting nowhere.

"You're insane," Liz cried. "Let us go!"

Countess Blair opened her mouth, fangs gleaming and dripping with saliva, causing Liz to let out a shriek. As she lowered her head towards Liz's neck, Liz began looking all around the room until she focused on Hellboy's flaming crown.

Without hesitation, Liz felt herself attempting to sap the fire from his crown, and, to her surprise, it seemed to be working. Fire oozed from his crown and engulfed Countess Blair, catching her off guard and causing her to let out an animalistic scream. The fire had climbed onto her hair and clothing, causing her to panic and back away from Liz.

Feeling Countess Blair's psychic hold weaken, Liz managed to get up off the altar. She stood, albeit shakily, showing no mercy as she continuously, quite literally, reigned down hellfire. Swarms of vampires attempted to run up and save their Countess, but Liz was quick to set them ablaze and render them helpless, even to themselves. Before she knew it, the entire church was on fire, and all of the inhabitants inside, besides her and Anung Un Rama, were either dead, or on their way there.

Liz looked up at Anung Un Rama, who was completely unaffected by the flames, and he looked back at her, expression blank, unblinking.

_Well_... Liz thought. _At least he's not trying to kill me anymore..._

After a few moments of assessing the situation, she decided it was safe to quell the fire. She concentrated, but instead of simply disappearing, the fire oozed back to his crown in a trail of orange sparks. Still, he stood there, eyes locked on her.

"Hey..." Liz tried. "You in there, big guy?"

A quiet growl rumbled in his throat.

_Maybe talking isn't a good idea..._

Liz focused on his flaming crown once more. She wasn't sure if it was because it was the brightest thing in the room or a more obscure reason, but she couldn't take her attention from it. She felt drawn to it.

As she stared at the crown, the light around it began to dim. Tiny, orange sparks began to flake away from it and effuse towards Liz - _into _Liz - absorbing through her skin. The crown flaked away until there was nothing left of it. She watched as Anung Un Rama fell to his knees, hearing him let out an animalistic, gutteral noise. Once his crown was no more, he slumped over on the ground, motionless, upper body bent over so low that his massive horns raked the burned floor of the church.

Incredibly slowly, practically imperceptible to Liz, Anung Un Rama appeared to shrink until he was back to Hellboy's normal size, though he still hadn't moved an inch, his head still down and doubled over as if in pain.

Liz took a slow, cautious step toward him, trying not to make any noise that might startle him.

"... Hellboy?" She whispered.

His head jerked up, as if startled out of a deep sleep. Liz breathed a sigh of relief as she surmised that this was indeed her friend. Not only had his crown evaporated, but his eyes no longer had the haunting, orange glow; they were back to their normal yellow, and they looked frightened.

"What happened?" Hellboy asked, sounding as if he were out of breath, and maybe a little drunk. "Where's Abe?"

Liz knelt down beside him, rubbing his naked back with her open palm, attempting to soothe him as best she could while he came back to reality.

"He's..." Liz started slowly, unsure. "He's outside somewhere. I'll explain later, but... you hit him pretty hard."

"What?" Hellboy asked, confused and startled, putting his hands up to his forehead. "I don't remember anything, I... where did these horns come from? Goddamnit..."

Hellboy easily snapped his massive horns off, leaving about six inches of jagged stump behind. He threw the horns several feet away, sending them skidding. He scrambled to his hooves and nearly fell over, obviously still not all with it.

"Easy, easy," Liz urged, standing up to keep him upright as best she could.

"Let's go find Abe," Hellboy mumbled, heading outside into the night.

.

.

.

The blinding blue and red flashes from the ambulance and cop cars was enough to give Hellboy a migraine. Sitting on top of a fallen tree, he closed his eyes in an attempt to block out some of the light.

They had found Abe in the dark, Hellboy using his flashlight, and Liz, her fire as a lightsource. He had banged his head on a rock and suffered what appeared to be a grade II concussion. He was being evaluated in the back of an ambluance.

Before the police and ambulance showed up, Hellboy, Liz and Abe went back to the church to inspect everything while they waited on the cavalry to arrive. Liz found a floorhatch almost instantly that had previously been hidden by a rug, before it had been burned away.

Carefully, Hellboy opened the hatch, shining his flashlight down below. Moans and cries could be heard, and they sounded horribly human. Hellboy, being the most resilient of the group by a long shot, climbed down the ladder, and his stomach dropped at what he caught in his flashlight's beam.

It was as he had suspected, and as he had seen a few times in the past: humans being held captive and kept alive just for blood harvest. Most of them were young women, but there were a few young men in the group, none of them appearing to be over the age of 25, and the youngest looking to be around 15.

Everywhere he looked, there were people chained to the wall, the floor, suspended from the ceiling, tied to chairs, all of them with needles jabbed into their arms, legs and necks, those needles leading into blood bags that hung from drip stands. Some of the needles had caused infection.

All of the people seemed terrified upon Hellboy's initial arrival, but once he was able to identify what he, Liz and Abe were there for, they all relaxed just a little. They all begged to be untied, unchained, released, but they had to be denied. Hellboy explained that he didn't want anyone ripping out their needles and possibly hurting themselves. He assured them that help was on the way and they would be freed soon.

Among the captives was Emma's sister, Kayla. She was fine. A little bruised and scared, but fine.

Liz came over to Hellboy, looking down at him from where he was sitting.

"This seat taken?" She asked, attempting to lighten the mood.

"Mm," He grunted, pulling out 2 Chesterfields from his pack.

Liz sat next to him and lit the tips of each cigarette, snagging one of them and placing it between her lips. Hellboy didn't start smoking right away, just letting the cigarette dangle between the fingers of his left hand, the smoke rolling and curling around his hand, his wrist.

Liz leaned up against him and she felt him tense up, moving away slightly.

"Hey," Liz said. "Come on. Don't be like that. I haven't even told you what happened yet."

"Do I really need to know?" Hellboy asked.

"It wasn't as bad as what you think, Red," Liz said gently. "Don't make this into something it's not."

Hellboy sighed and put the Chesterfield to his lips, taking a long drag. He stood and began walking away, smoke trailing over his shoulder.

"I'll be in the rental car," Hellboy said. "Bring Abe when they're done with him and we'll get back to the hotel. I'm tired."

"Sure thing..." Liz muttered.


	31. The End

When they got back to their hotel room, Hellboy insisted on showering alone. He even shut the door behind him. Liz was understanding. She allowed him some privacy. Some time to collect his thoughts, to calm down.

When he came out of the bathroom, steam rolling out from the doorway behind him, wearing only a pair of boxers, his long, black hair clinging wetly to his neck and shoulders, Liz was lying in bed, reading a book she had brought along on the mission.

"All yours," Hellboy said, gesturing to the bathroom.

Liz walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. She showered quickly. She came out wearing a black, silk negligee, paired with a long, black, silken robe. Her eyeliner had become smudged in the water and steam. Hellboy was laying on the bed, above the covers, looking up at the ceiling and touching his left horn stump, which was still jagged, with his left hand, silently wishing he had something to file it down with.

Liz came to sit next to him.

"So... what happened exactly?" He asked, taking his hand away from his horn.

"There's not much to tell, really," Liz said quietly, shrugging. "That bitch threw me and Abe out of the church with her freaky mind powers, and by the time we made it back in, you were all big n' scary. You chased us for a bit because she told you to kill us. Abe shot at you, but the bullets did fuck-all. You managed to smack him in the back of the head and knocked him out... thank God you used your left hand..."

Hellboy winced slightly, shuddering at what could have happend to Abe.

"But she must have sensed something in me," Liz went on. "She decided that I was more valuable alive and had you bring me back to the church. She had you put me on the altar, held me down with her powers and was getting ready to bite me. I tried to use my powers, but she must have blocked them somehow, so I used the fire from your... your crown... to fry her."

Liz didn't like talking about his crown, knowing what it signified. Even when they were just friends, she hated thinking about Hellboy's intended destiny. Now that she was in love with him, the thought left a metallic taste in her mouth and acid in her veins.

"How did I turn back?" Hellboy asked.

"Well, I... sort of absorbed the fire from your crown," Liz said. "It was strange. I just focused on it and the fire came to me until there was nothing left of it. Then you came back."

Hellboy let out a small groan. He suddenly felt like he needed to take another shower.

"But it's okay," Liz said, laying her head on top of his chest. "You're back now. It's fine."

"No, Liz," Hellboy said, voice rumbling in her ear through his ribs. "It's not 'fine.' Not by a long shot."

"Oh, don't be that way," Liz said, looking up at him from his chest.

"Did I hurt you?" He asked hesitantly.

"No, no," Liz said. "Even when you grabbed me, you weren't very rough at all. She hurt me when she threw me around, though."

Hellboy gave a solemn nod and closed his eyes, as if in thought. He was relieved that he hadn't hurt her, but how many more times would this happen? Would luck be on their side then? And, while Abe's injuries were very slight compared to what they could have been, that didn't change the fact that it was completely unnecessary for him to have gotten hurt in the first place.

"Hey..." Liz said quietly.

Hellboy opened his eyes and looked down at her. She pushed herself higher up on top of him and pressed her lips to his. He felt her small breasts pressing against the silk of her negligee and couldn't stop himself from getting a little excited, despite his pessimistic mood. She kissed him again, and this time, he parted his lips a little. Liz stuck the tip of her tongue through his lips experimentally, seeing how he would react.

To her slight surprise, he took the bait and brought his tongue to meet hers, tilting his head farther to the side to allow for better access. Liz's hand wandered down to his groin, feeling his rapidly engorging cock throbbing beneath his boxers.

"I want you inside me," Liz said as she took her mouth less than an inch from his.

"You know we can't," He responded back, almost breathlessly.

"I want to try," Liz said, pulling his boxers down.

Hellboy lifted his ass up so that she could pull his boxers down easier, his massive cock already at maximum hardness.

"What if we get stuck together again?" Hellboy asked.

"We'll just do what we did last time," Liz said.

She held his cock between her hands and wrapped her lips around the head, sucking and swishing her tongue around the tip. She jerked the shaft with her delicate, soft hands, maintaining eye contact all the while. Hellboy wanted to argue with her, wanted to tell her it was a bad idea, but he found himself unable to tell her to stop. He tilted his head back, a silent sigh escaping his lips.

Liz took her mouth away and, hiking her negligee up, began to position his cock against her slit, but he stopped her.

"Wait," He said. "Let me loosen you up first."

"What?" She asked.

"Sit on my face," He requested.

Liz happily obliged, a smile spreading across her lips. She crawled up beside him on the bed, hiked her negligee up around her waist, and straddled his face, spreading her pussy lips over his mouth. He eagerly began licking and sucking, bringing his hands up to cup her perfect ass that was resting on his clavicle. He pushed his tongue into her birth canal, gently pushing it in and pulling it back out. Liz moaned as he fell into a routine, licking and sucking her clit, then trailing his tongue down to her birth canal and slowly, sensually, tongue-fucking her, then trailing back to her clit to suck and lick some more.

"You're gonna make me cum if you keep that up," Liz warned.

She rolled off of his face and pointed to the edge of the bed.

"Go stand over there," She demanded.

"What?" He asked. "Why?"

"I want you to try fucking me doggystyle," She explained.

"Isn't that-" Hellboy began.

"Just do it," Liz said. "I wanna try."

Hellboy wanted to argue. Wanted to tell her that it would probably be worse than last time if he was the one in charge of the thrusting, but she seemed deadset on attempting it. And, she was right: They could just do what they did last time if they got stuck again. Hellboy stood at the foot of the bed, hooves planted firmly on the carpeted hotel floor.

Liz backed up on the bed, negligee still hiked up around her waist. It was a glorious sight to see: her ass and pussy spread wide, offering herself to him in an almost animalistic and degrading manner. It was amazing that he had enough self control to refrain from hastily taking her right then and there.

"Okay," Liz said, looking over her shoulder at him. "I'm ready. Just go slow, okay?"

"Okay," He agreed.

Hellboy grabbed his cock and aimed it so that it was level with her vagina. Liz began backing up, easing onto his cock. Hellboy moaned as she managed to stuff the head all in, the warmth and wetness exciting him beyond measure. He had to stop himself from reaching down, grabbing her shoulders and slamming her down the rest of the way.

"So far, so good," Liz said. "Now push in a little at a time."

Hellboy obeyed, pushing as gently as he could into her. To his surprise, it slid in easier than the last time.

"I think you loosening me up helped," Liz said with a laugh.

"I'll say..." Hellboy said.

Hellboy bent down over her as best he could until his mouth was at the back of her neck. He leaned to the side and began sucking on her neck, eliciting a moan from her. He felt her vagina relax around his cock almost instantly, and he was able to slide in almost 2 more inches with minimal effort. Still leaning over her with his mouth near her neck, he reached down to feel his cock.

"I'm farther in than I was last time," He said quietly. "I'm over halfway..."

Liz let out a sound - a sort of grunt.

"Are you okay?" Hellboy asked, worriedly.

"Yeah, it just... I've never felt this before. It's like you're hitting something that maybe isn't supposed to be hit."

"Want me to pull out?" He asked, already preparing to do so.

"No, no," Liz said. "Keep going. It doesn't hurt. It just... it feels different."

"Okay, but you tell me if it starts to hurt," Hellboy said sternly.

Hellboy gradually pushed until he felt like something was blocking him. He still had about 2 inches of his cock outside of Liz.

"Okay, there's something in the way," He said. "I think that's as far as we should go."

"Wait," Liz said. "It feels like something happened when you pushed on it. Do it again."

"Liz, I-"

"Don't argue. Just do it."

Hellboy reluctantly pushed forward. Liz didn't tell him to stop, nor did she show any signs of pain, so he kept thrusting gently back and forth. He felt that he was blocked until something changed. It felt as if something had begun to open up and allow him further access. Surprisingly, his cock slipped farther in. He was balls-deep inside of her now, though he could have technically pushed a little farther still, until his testicles were pushing tightly against his scrotum, but he didn't want to press his luck.

He became confused and slightly alarmed when he gave an experimental thrust.

"Liz... there's... there's a second hole in here."

"I think..." Liz said, looking over her shoulder at him. "I think that's my cervix. I think you made it dilate. It would make sense that you'd be able to reach it."

Hellboy didn't know much about anatomy, but he was a little familiar with the reproductive system. He had spent hours upon hours in his father's study as a boy, flipping through whatever book he could get his hands on as a way to stave off his boredom and not feel so isolated. Anatomy was one of the few topics he took some interest in. He remembered reading that the vagina - before he even knew what a vagina was - wasn't particularly long, but did become longer with arousal. Since he was much more endowed than any normal man, it stood to reason that he could reach much farther than he was intended.

"Thrust," Liz demanded.

It took Hellboy a minute to come back to reality, to realize he had been standing still, lost in his thoughts. He happily gave a few gentle thrusts, reveling in the way Liz arched her back and threw her head back in ecstasy with every pump he gave.

"You're so fucking _big_, Red," Liz practically purred, black-painted fingernails twisting the bedsheets.

"You like it?" He asked, feeling himself give in to the excitement little by little.

"I fucking _love _it," She moaned.

Acting on pure instinct, he reached down and looped his arms under her armpits and over her shoulders, as if his arms were the straps of a bookbag, and lifted her up, bouncing her very carefully up and down on his cock. He was numb with ecstasy at feeling both her vaginal opening and her cervix squeeze his cock simultaneously.

"Can you turn me around without taking your cock out?" She asked. "I want to fuck you the other way."

Hellboy carefully turned her until she was facing him, the sensation of her vaginal walls gripping his cock the whole way sending a chill up his spine. She wrapped her legs around his waist for support, though support was hardly needed with his thick, muscular arms wrapped around her, one tucked under her ass, the other wrapped around her back. Her mouth pressed against his.

Suddenly, Liz reached both hands up, wrapping them around the jagged horn stumps protruding from his forehead. She pulled herself up by them, then let herself slam back down on his massive, crimson cock, making Hellboy groan with pleasure.

He felt so thoroughly happy that he could have cried. He was still very much shaken up about what happened at the church, but it was almost a distant memory at the moment, despite Liz literally hanging on to the evidence of the incident that occurred only a short while ago. He couldn't bring himself to vividly think of anything negative. It might as well have happened 10 years ago as far as he was concerned.

Liz hoisted herself up by his horns until her small, round titties were near his mouth. Hellboy promplty placed a peach-colored nipple in his mouth, alternating from the left breast to the right, then back again. Her nipples perked up beautifully as his tongue teased them.

"Oh, fuck," Liz moaned, a smile spreading across her face. "I feel like I'm..."

Hellboy brought her down a little lower and buried his face into her neck, sucking and grazing his teeth over the delicate curve where her shoulder began to form.

"Slam your fucking cock into me," Liz begged. "Get as far inside me as you can. I want you to fill me with your cum!"

Hellboy did as she said, but didn't allow himself to get too carried away. If he followed her instructions to the letter, she would more than likely end up with a broken something-or-other. He pushed until he was in as far as he could possibly go, his balls pressed firmly, tightly against his thighs.

He gave a few thrusts, in and out, and Liz opened her mouth almost as if in shock. Hellboy felt her vagina contract tightly, slacken, tighten, slacken. She let out a high-pitched moan as her orgasm took hold, her entire body feeling light as air to her, like it didn't even truly exist. The sensation of the contractions so snug against his cock, coupled with her moans was all it took for Hellboy to reach his limit, and he exploded inside of her, squeezing her body slightly tighter to his body than before.

Liz could feel his orgasm filling her, coating the inside of her uterus. As his orgasm died down, he realized Liz had gone almost completely limp in his arms, legs dangling and her head resting against his chest. She was slightly damp with sweat and breathing heavily.

"You okay, kid?" He asked.

"Yeah... just..." She lifted her head up to look at him. "That was intense."

Hellboy walked back to the bed and carefully laid her on her back, legs slightly folded at the knees so that his cock wasn't pulling her upwards.

"I'm gonna pull out now," He said. "Ready?"

"Yeah," Liz said.

Very slowly, but smoothly, he took a few small steps backward until his cock was free. She laid there, looking up at him, something that looked like joy in her eyes. He laid next to her, putting his face right beside hers, a little smile coming to his face.

"What're you so happy about?" He asked teasingly.

"I can't believe we pulled that off," Liz said. "I was worried it might never happen. Was it what you thought it'd be?"

Hellboy chuckled. "God... it was great. I knew sex was supposed to be really nice, but... _damn_, you know? Just damn."

Liz laughed. "Such a way with words."

"Did you like it?" He asked. "With me, I mean? Was it good?"

"Yeah..." Liz said. "I never came from sex before."

"R-really?" Hellboy asked.

"You must have stretched me out just right," Liz explained. "Hit all the right spots, I guess. That was the hardest I've ever came."

Hellboy smirked, feeling rather proud of himself. Liz pulled her negligee back down. She looked at the alarm clock on the hotel nightstand.

"Damn," Liz said. "It's almost three in the morning. We gotta be at the airport in less than four hours."

"I could definitely go for some sleep right about now," Hellboy said, getting up and putting his boxers back on.

"Same," Liz agreed, turning on the lamp next to the bed.

Hellboy switched the main light to the hotel room off and eagerly crawled into bed next to Liz, wrapping his left arm around her protectively. She switched off the lamp, plunging them both into a comfortable darkness.

Liz fell asleep a while before Hellboy. He found it hard to drift off when his mind was so busy thinking about what the future held for the 2 of them. He decided that he never wanted to be away from Liz, ever again. He wanted to travel the world with her, whether it was for work or leisure. He wanted to always be experiencing new things and growing with her.

For the first time in his life, he was seriously thinking of marriage. There was no way he could let her slip away, no possible way he could live without her by his side. He had finally found his mate - someone that he clicked with in every possible way, someone that he could trust with all of his secrets, someone who understood his struggles, because she could trust him with her secrets and he understood her struggles.

Quietly, so very quietly that he could barely hear himself, he spoke into the darkness.

"I love you, Elizabeth Anne Sherman..."


End file.
